Yu-Gi-Oh: Dragon Knights
by 4fireking
Summary: A boy named Dash and his Dragon, Nyx are injured in a duel due to the foul play of his rival, Marcus. With his dueling mount no longer able to fly, Dash must tame Nyx's disobedient hatchling and use the help of his friend Tanya to return to the skies and redeem himself to the fans. (co-author and collaboration partner TheSingingSword)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

* * *

 **Finding A New Partner, Dash the Dragonrider  
**

 **Knights & Battle For The Throne **

* * *

**Dash**

* * *

Today was a Dragon Dueling exciting match about to take place. I could hear the wind whistling by my face and my hair was whipping back and forth as I ride atop my great beast. A dragon with scales as brilliant as emerald and the membranes of its wings seemed to glow purple in the afternoon sun whom I named Nyx.

The buildings of Goldcircle Kingdom City rush by in blurs of silver, and neon blue. The character which is me had to force my mount to make a sharp turn over the main plaza. The streets below twinkling with the flashes of the excited crowd's cameras. I hear them calling my name, filling me with adrenaline, ready to settle the score with my rival, Marcus a hot shot dragon rider and classmate from school.

His beast was enormous behemoth with black armored scales. Its wings glowing lava red as was its eyes and its mouth looking like a furnace from hell. Marcus laughed at me even though his Life Points were far lower than mine he was rather confident that he would win the match. His black dragon was plated in engraved black armor with a flag hanging off its tail bearing the emblem of his family.

His father obviously spared no expense in giving the best for his little boy.

With the Dragonheart Tournament close at hand, none of them wanted a loss this night. And they both were getting desperate.

"You played a good game!" the rival shouted. "But it all ends here! I Synchro Summon Exlploder Dragonwing!"

(ATK/2400 DEF/1600)

"You're wide open. And now there's no stopping me from attacking with my dragon and ending this duel!"

The crowd gasped, all on the edge of their seats, waiting to see if our character will counter the attack somehow.

"Are you ready up there?" the rival asks through an intercom in his dragon-shaped helmet. "That face down card he has is worrisome."

"I've got eyes on the target, sir." A mercenary sniper said from his perch, watching the duel from his multi-vision scope. "He's not going to the tournament. I guarantee it."

"I've got to do something and fast! If I don't come up with a strategy to beat that dragon, I'll lose the duel. Wait! My face-down card."

"I activate my face-down card..."

"Fire!"

I was grazed in my right arm unable to activate my trap card. It was only half shown from how I activated it. Marcus's Exploder Dragon attacked me directly.

I lost the duel and nearly my life almost falling off my dragon. My dragon saved me though catching me before I feel off him. I loved my dragon, I just wish I wasn't loathed now by people jeering at me in the crowd.

Their boos pierced my spirit like a thousand knives thrown by a Dark Magician. Did they not care that my arm was bleeding, and that both me and my dragon were tumbling down towards them like a bullet. They were a bloodthirsty crowd, like the crowd of ancient times going crazy in a gladiatorial match. When they wanted a duel, they wanted a duel, and they would go into a frenzied riot if they didn't get what they wanted. I was a hero to them, which was a curse as much as it was a blessing. For I was loved by them all. Having said that they wanted the best from me, and if they didn't get it they would rip me to shreds for letting them down. Something was wrong with my dragon. I put my hand on its side and could feel his pulse beating like a ceremonial drum.

Something was wrong. My dragon was also shot. And he was getting weaker and weaker. I held onto the metal stirrups and pressed my chest against the saddle bracing for impact. The medical staff that always stood by during every Dragon Duel was mobilized. I could see their red lights flashing in the streets below. Their siren wailing. The head of security was shouting for the crowd to get out of the way via megaphone from inside his mobile command center.

The crowd saw that both me and my dragon were getting closer to the ground. The pointed and ran away. I clenched my teeth as we dove closer to the ground.

WHACK!

My dragon pounded into the cement road, trashing food stalls and guard rails. I fell forward and tumbled on the ground alongside my dragon who was flipping violently behind me. And then all was still.

"Get back! Get back!" I hear the security forces order the curious crowd and the nosy media.

I take a deep breath and then feel bliss as darkness envelopes me.

My dragon and I were separated because they couldn't allow outside visitors during their surgery. I too was taken in for medical care but I wanted to be free to see my dragon. What hurt more than all this losing I was given today was the stitches my doctors gave me—hurt like falling in a rough piece of stone.

"My dragon!" I cried out. "Nyx! Let me see Nyx!"

"Your dragon was shot near the heart, so he's going to be in intensive care for a while," the dotting pink-haired nurse told me, trying to keep me down.

"Whoever shot him was a pro."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that whoever it was who shot your dragon did so from eleven hundred yards away."

"What! That's impossible. That's eleven football fields! And we were going at least a hundred miles per hour."

"As I said, this sicko must be a pro. The doctors aren't sure your dragon will last the night."

"Let see him!" I shouted.

"You need to rest until your arm gets better!" the nurse said, pushing me back on my pillow. "You're lucky, we almost had to amputate it. We will keep you updated on Nyx, too. He's a good beast, and I have faith in him, just as you do. Such as shame about the duel, though. I was rooting for you. That Marcus guy is a jerk."

"You know him well, I wager," I asked, resting my good arm over my forehead to shield my weak vision from the bright light above my bed.

"He likes to flirt with my little sister. She's a dragon rider like you, and goes to the same school as you, if I'm not mistaken."

"If I see her, I'll say hello," I said weakly.

"Rest." The nurse said, before gathering her things and leaving.

"Come on, Nyx. Hang in there."

* * *

"Nyx," I said, looking at my dragon laying asleep in his cave which we fitted to be a barn. It was a shame to see such a great beast like a dragon in such a state.

"He's gonna be fine," my older sister, Kate said, pumping an elixir for dragons into Nyx's mouth with a machine. She sighed with relief, wiping sweat off her brow with a glove forearm, pushing back her straw hat. "Big guy aint gonna fly anymore in duels though."

"Damn, but the tournament is just a few months away. I'll never find another mount by then. Besides, dragons are hard to come by and training a wild one is beyond my skill."

"Well, Dash, if you weren't so obsessed with your duelin' you would've found out that Nyx's girl, Luna, laid a clutch of eggs last week in her perch above the hills."

"Oh they hatched!" I cried out.

"Well, duuur!" my sister teased. "Plenty o' good hatchlings in her clutch. And dragons tend to grow pretty fast once ya take care of 'em right. With the right amount of love and training, I reckon the hatchling you pick will grow into a decent wyvern in a few months. Go see to them. But careful, Luna's on a mean streak now that she's a mother. A dragon with babies is one mean mama. Poor Carl is lucky he still has an arm left after what she did to him."

I gulped. I did not want to get on that dragons mean side. Maybe I would get lucky and Luna doesn't want to eat a person like me. I walked in the cave and came face to face with little dragons sleeping near the belly of the mother dragon.

The babies all chirped as they ravenously devoured the carcass of a red horn, a giant woolly beast that lives in large herds in the plains outside the city. Their eyes were shut, because baby dragons are born blind, making them rather vulnerable to predators out in the wild. But the odds of them being hunted was slim to none, because while the predator stalked the babies, their mother stalked the predator. Luna looked like she was asleep which made me really nervous. I didn't want to spook her, for if I did, I would wind up like Carl, or worse.

I notice one of them getting closer to me. He was about the size of a small puppy and his horns were stubby. His scales were like onyx and he had brilliant red patters. He chirped as he wobbled towards me. But just as I'm about to reach out and pet it, the baby is yanked by the tail by his mother. Luna's eyes like molten golden looks into mine as she carries her baby back to the nest. She growls at me, showing off her teeth as sharp as swords and white as the snow atop the mountains around our farm.

She stood up on all fours, her wings spreading and she flushes blood into the membranes of her wings making them flush into brilliant patterns. That was never a good sign, it meant dragons were ready to do battle.

I feel the earth quake behind me. I turn around and sigh with relief as I see my Dueling Dragon, Nyx, entering the cave behind me, hobbling weakly into the cave. He growls sympathetically at his mate.

Amazingly, Luna backs off and puts her wings down, but she spits a ball of molten phlegm at my feet out of anger. Served me right for coming into her cave and disturbing her babies.

Nyx snarls at something in the corner, he wanted me to see it. There was a baby dragon chirping sadly all by itself. There was something wrong with it. His eyes were different colors. One was glowing teal and the other bright red and one wing was bigger than the other. He was scarlet with a cream-colored underbelly.

I felt bad for it. It seems like he's an outcast, abandoned by his brothers and sisters and looked down upon by his mother, because he wasn't allowed to have a share of the red horn she brought home. He made an attempt at the meat, but Luna angrily picks him up by the tail and drops him back in his corner on his head.

"HEY!" I shouted. "That's not nice!"

Luna roars at me, but Nyx roars in my defense. Their cries were amplified by the walls of the cave. I cover my ears with my hands until they stop their argument. Luna glares angrily at Nyx, then she picks up the outcast by the tail and drops him at my feet. I look up at Luna. she nods her head as if to say 'well, take it'.

"You mean, I can have it?" I asked. I kneel down and pick up the dragon. "Thanks," I said to Luna. She growls in response.

Nyx then leaned his head towards Luna and rubs his snout lovingly with hers, as thanks for letting me have the baby.

"Well, I guess you're stuck with me, little guy," I said to the baby dragon. I walk out of the cave and started thinking about what to call him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

* * *

 **It All Comes Down To Ground Dueling  
**

 **Knights & Battle For The Throne **

* * *

**Dash**

* * *

The first step to making a dragon duel for,you is to first gain their trust and show them you and them are close friends. I decided to name my dragon Bright Tooth because I look at my dragons teeth wondering if it will roar quite like his mother. His teeth, though small, could still rip the flesh out of my hand if I'm not careful. I go to my sister for help and naturally she bores me to death about dragon care. The days go by, and my relationship with Bright Tooth isn't as I hoped it would be. He always torches my face with his flames and all he wants to do is eat.

"Well, your arm is doing better," my mom says at breakfast. "I say you're fit to go back to school tomorrow. Normally that news would have mad me upset, but right now I just had to get away from this dragon. All the thing wants to do is eat and eat.

"You're going to have to find a new dragon," my dad says examining the creature as it stalked the kitchen floors.

"I can't," I said. "Luna won't let me anywhere near her nest without snapping at me. I was lucky she even let me have this runt."

"Well, there's no other option, son. I am rather fearful of those wings he has. They're oddly shaped and I don't think he will fly."

"The first thing you need to do is train him some self discipline!" snapped Kate. "I caught the little varmint chewin' up my clothes and tearin' up my bed sheets!"

"I can't do that either!" I cried out. "I can't even get near him. He just barbecues my face!"

"Well do something!" Kate retorted. "Your little tournament is fast approaching and you need a mount to compete."

Bright Tooth suddenly jumps on the table and devours our breakfast!

"DASH!" my mother shouts.

School, I thought, I just need to go back to school and forget about Bright Tooth.

* * *

I remember what the nurse said about her sister. She was waiting for me when I walked off the bus. She had a white shirt with a blue vest covering her shirt and a red tie around her neck. Her hair was short green and a little on the uncomb side. She was a girl with purple eyes that I thought were cute.

"Hello," I said nervously.

"Hey I know you," she said. "You're Dash, the rider who tumbled int the crowd during that promotional match. Sorry about your loss. Even sorrier for your dragon. I'm a dragon rider myself. I was looking forward to facing Nyx in the tournament. He's a good beast."

"Yeah, but his dueling days are over, I'm afraid. Your sister helped mend my arm at the hospital. My name is Dash."

"I'm Tanya of House Marigold."

"Oh, you're from the noble houses in the center of the city? I thought you had your own rides to school. What are you doing taking the public bus?"

"I like it this way. I get to meet new people and the media doesn't follow me around this part of town. Best part is, HE doesn't follow me into town."

"Marcus?"

"How did you know?"

"Your sister told me about him. Says he has the hots for you."

"You have no idea. He thinks because his daddy is the king's brother he can do whatever he wants and get whatever he wants. And right now what he wants is me."

"Why you?"

"I ride Godiva the Golden Dragon. She has brought glory to my family for years. And now its my turn to ride her. And I have these in my deck."

She shows me her dueling deck. I cannot believe what stares at me at the bottom of the deck.

"B-B-Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

" I see you know what the Blue Eyes White Dragon is. It is a card if used well can defeat any other dragon with a powerful breath that will travel for miles. I use it for my Buster Dragon deck, a Synchro deck that can make Buster Blade play at his best."

"Wow, that's cool," I said. "I have this."

I show her my Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

"No way! You got a Red-Eyes Black Dragon? They are so hard to find. Well aint that something, Dash. Your Red-Eyes and my Blue-Eyes."

We hold our cards together.

"I've got something that might help you out in the future," she reaches into her backpack to take out her card album. She flips through the pages and takes out two cards.

"Here, I have no use for them since I don't field a Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

She hands me a fusion card and a Gemini card.

"Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact? And Meteor Black Comet Dragon? Wow, thanks. I promise I'll take good care of them."

"You'd better," Tanya snapped at me. "They were expensive."

After that discussion I went to my class and walked by Marcus. He made the L sign in his hands that mean "loser" which of course he was referring to me but I just walked by him to my class. I was late as my teacher was already drawing on the chalkboard.

"Well, well, well," my teacher says to me without even so much as turning around to see me. "Have a seat and write this formula down before I erase it from the board, Dash. I am not going to repeat myself."

"Yes, sir," I said, not really caring for the info on the board. Not that I paid attention in class anyway. All I cared about was my dueling and how I was going to use the new cards Tanya gave to me."

The entire period it was write this or you won't have it in your head to answer questions you will be graded on. At least it wasn't something so complicated classmates would have trouble writing it on the board.

The final bell rang. As the teacher made an announcement for a pop quiz the next week, my classmates gathered their things and stormed out the door. But he held me back for being tardy for the umpteenth time, and told me to stay after and clap the erasers and put the chairs on top of the desks.

I walk out, coughing my lungs out from the dust of the chalk and I find Tanya waiting for me outside the door to our classroom.

"Hey," she said. "Took you long enough."

"You were waiting for me?"

"Yeah, I want to have a duel."

"A duel? With me?"

"Yeah, your Red-Eyes against my Blue-Eyes. What do you say?"

"But my dragon mount can't duel anymore. And, my replacement is a bit of a nutcase."

"There are other ways to duel besides, dragon riding you know. You haven't heard of a Duel Disk?"

I face palmed myself.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that."

"Come on, Dash, the arcade downtown as a humongous arena. I know the owner well, he'll let us use it."

"All right, but I don't have a Duel Disk."

"We can use one of his rentals. Come on,"

She grabs me by the arm and drags me out of school.

"You're gonna yank my arm off, woman!" I cried.

Little did I know, Marcus was watching us leave. And he was furious. He dashed outside, secretly following us to the arcade where we were going to have our duel.

* * *

For a place that didn't use dragons this kind of place wasn't bad. There were children who were enjoying playing on a wrist toy with something long like a ruler sticking out but had the width of a brick. I bet Tanya wanted me to play her using one of those machines.

Tanya finally lets go of my arm, then dashes for an elderly gentlemen with thick glasses, wearing a white shirt with a striped smock, and brown pants. He pats her head playfully and slowly walks to his stockroom to pick up the machines.

"He'll be right out with our Duel Disks," Tanya says with excitement. "This going to be a duel like no other, Dash. Red-Eyes is not the only dragon that got new support. My Blue-Eyes got some pretty good support cards, too, and I'm dying to use his Chaos Form on you."

"Chaos form?" I gulp.

"TANYA!" I heard someone shout. It was my rival, Marcus.

He was horsed with rage. Seeing me with Tanya was enough to make him want to punch me in the face. He wasn't really thinking and was asking in a very bad emotional way. She was crossing her arms while looking at him.

"Mind telling me what a measly farm boy is doing with one of the daughters of House Marigold?" he shouts, balling his fists.

"I can hang out with whoever I want, Marcus," Tanya snapped. "You're not the boss of me."

"No, but your father did tell me to keep a close eye on you."

"I don't need you watching over me!" Tanya countered. "Besides, that's a request you asked him for, you creep. Dash, come on. Let's ignore the peanut gallery and get on with our match."

"Now just hold on a second!" Marcus runs forward and blocks our way, holding out his arms. "There is no way I'm going to let you use the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon on this wretched farm boy. I'll duel you, Dash!"

"Me?"

"Yeah, that's right. Not so tough now that you don't have your dragon, eh?"

"What would you know about that!" I shouted.

"I heard he can't even fly anymore. If I were you I'd put him down and quick. A flightless dragon is no dragon at all."

"What did you say!"

Nobody talks to Nyx that way especially to my face! I was angry but I wasn't stupid. Winning against Marcus wasn't ignoring that he wants you to do something but show him your better than him. I had a duel disk on and I put my Red Eyes deck inside the duel disk. I was going to beat him like I should have done when Nyx was my dueling dragon.

"Our duel can wait, Tanya!" I shouted. "I'm taking him on first!"

"Be my guest," Tanya said backing off.

"Ha! This is going to be a cinch!" said Marcus, activating his Duel Disk which had the likeness of a black armored dragon wing with a glowing red surface.

"Now hold on there, boys," the owner of the arcade said, approaching us. "You can't duel here, these are where the booths are. The arenas are down this way.

The kids in the arcade heard duel, then saw me and Marcus. They went crazy. They stopped playing their games and crowded around a line into the arena's bleachers to watch the game.

"Ah, my adoring fans," Marcus said. "Too bad they don't see you as a hero anymore, eh, Dash? You let them down after you lost to me."

"Someone interfered with our match!" I said. "Someone hurt me and Nyx. And Gods help me, Marcus, if I find out you had anything to do with it, your father won't be able to save your from the King's Justice."

"Ha, that's a bold statement, Dash. But there's this thing you need called evidence! You can't be pointing fingers like that without any proof. You're just mad you lost to a superior duelist like me, so you're coming up with excuses to justify your loss."

"Enough talk!" I shouted. "Let's duel!"

This is for Nyx, I thought.

Marcus went first in this duel. He didn't draw any cards from his deck as the person who goes first cannot get to do their draw phase.

" I special summon Super Quantum Red Layer (2000)." The technology from Marcus's duel disk allowed him to summon a knight looking monster but with razor claws and a red visor. " I can special summon this monster since I had no monsters. He's also a warrior monster. That being said I activate Dragonic Attack. This equip spell increases the attack of one warrior monster I control and changed its type to dragon."

Super Quantum Red Layer grew mandibles, a tail on the back of its body, and its metal claws were replaced with red finger claws.

" I normal summon the level two tuner monster Magna Drago ( 1400/600." A red and orange petite dragon with ghostly yellow eyes appeared burning with fire on Marcus's field. " It's a good thing new cards boost the power of old cards. I needed a tuner and a non-tuner dragon type monster and thanks to Dragonic Attack I have it. I tune my level two Magna Drago with my level 5 Super Quantum Red Layer to Synchro Summon Exploder Dragonwing ( 2400/1600)."

Magna Drago's body was covered in three circles of green light as its body became two glowing green orbs. Those spheres and circles surrounded Super Quantum Red Layer until he became a yellow outline of himself and five green spheres. After an explosion a black scaled dragon with eerie red eyes appeared on Marcus's field.

" Face it, I am pretty sweet. And in case you were thinking of using some powerful Fusion monster I activate Burden of the Mighty. All monsters you control lose 100 ATK points times their level. This is pretty useful considering Exploder Dragonwing destroys a monster weaker than it before battle. I end my turn."

 **Player: Marcus**

 **Monster Zone (1): Exploder Dragonwing**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (1): Burden of the Mighty**

 **Life Points: 4000**

It was my turn. Since I was going second I got to draw one card for my turn. Marcus thought he did a good strategy but my deck was Red Eyes.

" I play Polmerization. This Fusion card helps me Fusion Red Eyes in my hand and Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact to Fusion summon Meteor Black Comet Dragon ( 3500/2000)."

Both of those monsters were swirling around my head merging together to summon my new dragon Fusion monster. Tanya whistled to my new veiny red dragon making its appearance.

" Its effect is I can send one Red-Eyes monster from my hand or deck to the graveyard to inflict damage equal to half its Attack Points. I send Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon (2800)."

Marcus took 1400 points of damage from my dragon flapping its wings hurling multiple small brown meteors at Marcus.

" Because of your Burden of the Mighty my Black Comet loses eight hundred attack points." A purple aura surrounded my monster weakening it to 2700. " I activate One for One, by sending Summoned Skull from my hand to the graveyard I summon Black Stone of Legend (0/0)."

A crusted black nest appeared on my field with a lightly glowing red stone on it. It is said inside a powerful dragon will be born from that stone.

" I can now tribute my Black Stone of Legend to special summon one Red Eyes monster from my deck and I choose Red Eyes Black Flare Dragon ( 2400/ 2000)." My stone flared to life with bright red colours spinning around the room. What happened was supposedly its birth and this birth was a black scaled dragon with reptilian red eyes and yellow irises with four burning wings coming out. " Since Black Flare Dragon is a Gemini monster and I didn't normal summon this turn I normal summon my monster changing it to an effect monster. And now I equip Black Flare Dragon with Dragon Shield."

I created a neck race for my dragon with extra spike appendages around its body. Because of Burden of the Mighty my monster was weaker (1700).

" Red Eyes Black Flare Dragon attack Marcus's Exploder Dragonwing!"

Hearing that command must have stirred up some confusion with the audience of this duel. Since Exploder Dragonwing was battling a monster it could destroy my monster before the attack hit. Dragonwing spewed a fast explosive fireball at my monster. However, since Dragon Shield makes my monster unable to be destroyed by battle or card effects my attack went through. I would have lost seven hundred life points with that attack except Dragon Shield makes neither player take damage from the attack.

" No Dash...you can't be-"

" That I am Marcus. When this battle phase is over you will take damage equal to Black Flare's original ATK points. For now I shall wipeout your only monster with my Red Eyes Black Comet Dragon."

Marcus rubbed his hair frantically as my dragon soared towards him with a fiery comet burning on his back. While flying my dragon started spinning around until finally crushing Marcus's ace monster with its power. He lost three hundred life points lowering him to 2300.

" Battle Phase over and unless you have a monster that negates effect damage so is duel."

Marcus cursed under his breath as Black Flare Dragon fired a bulletlike fireball at his heart. The attack may have been a hologram but it touching him wasn't. He lost all his life points.

Marcus: 0

" Why do I only have Jar of Avarice in my hand?!" Marcus shouted.

"Wow, Marcus of House Ironheart, defeated by a lowly farm boy," Tanya said in disbelief. Dash, you were amazing. You used my new monsters like a pro."

"Thanks," I said, looking over at Marcus. He was on his knees, smashing his fist furiously at the floor.

"Don't think you'll get away with this!" he shouted at me. "Not that this victory matters. Your dragon is crippled and you don't have a mount to complete in the games!"

"You seem rather pleased about this." Tanya sternly places her hands on her curvy hips. "Everyone in the city is praying for Nyx, save for you. I find that mighty suspicious."

"I assure you that I have nothing to do with what happened to that stupid dragon."

My eyes widen with disbelief as Tanya slaps him hard on the face.

"How dare you, you wretched girl!" Marcus cries, massaging his reddened flesh. "When my mother hears of this!"

SLAP!

"Oh, would you look at that. The Black Knight going to cry to his mommy. Not as tough as you think you are without Danteya holding your hand."

"How dare you strike..."

SLAP!

"Get lost, Marcus!" Tanya orders.

"You will rue this moment!" Marcus dashed out of the arcade.

"Wow, that's impressive," I said in amazement. "I've never seen Marcus manhandled like that before."

"He's not so tough. He only feels so high and mighty of himself because of who his mother and father work for. He may seem tough as nails on the outside, but inside, he's a spoiled brat."

"Well, thanks for getting rid of him," I said. My phone buzzed in my pocket. "Hello," I said answering it.

"YOU BETTER GIT YOUR ASS HERE NOW!" I distance my ear from the speaker, hearing my sister Kate screaming into phone. "You'd best do something, Dash. Paw Paw says he's gonna shoot it if you don't get back and control this varmint!"

"Oh-no, Bright Tooth," I said, hanging up the phone.

"Bright Tooth?" Tanya asked.

"My new dragon mount," I answered, tucking my phone in my pocket. "He's was the runt of the clutch and he's turned out to be a bit of a nuisance in my house."

"Why don't I got take a look at him?" Tanya asked. "I know a thing or two about dragon care."

"If you insist, but I'm not going to be held accountable for what happens at my house."

"Hey, my dragon was a handful when she was just a hatchling, too. I'm sure I can handle Nyx's little spawn."

"By my guest," I said, leading her out of the arcade. We stroll down the streets of the city, now following the road into the countryside.

"This where you live?" Tanya asked.

"Yeah, it's not the city, but..."

"I think it's wonderful," Tanya interrupted. "It must be really peaceful here."

"Yeah," I agreed, looking up at the blue skies above us. I really missed being up there. The wind blowing against my face, the rush of being on the back of a dragon, creatures that were once used for war. I had doubt that I was ever going to be up there anymore. Bright-Tooth was, pardon my language, a pain in the ass. I was beginning to understand why Luna didn't want him anymore. I guess if it wasn't for me, he'd be dead. Dragons were proud creatures, and to have runts in their clutch almost felt like a disgrace. I once read, that the mothers often eat them immediately. But that left me wondering why Luna didn't do so. Perhaps she was saving him for me. I didn't know if I should fell honored, or duped. I think she knew what she was giving me.

That damn dragon, I thought to myself.

"You get such a great view of the Stark Mountains," she said pointing at the wonderful bluish-white mountain range dominating an ocean of brilliant green pine forest at their roots. Fire King Falls proudly fell from the mouth a dragon head-shaped fissure on the top of the mountain and fell into the River Tel which streamed underneath our feet as we crossed over the bridge towards Riverhood, the town where I lived. A gas tanker rolled by us followed by a few cars and a pickup truck holding red horn calves.

"Will your parents worry about you?" I asked. "I'm pretty sure Marcus's mother won't appreciate you slapping her son."

"I can handle Lady Danteya," Tanya scoffed. She heard the sound of plates crashing and a loud cry of anguish coming from the wooden walls of my home.

"This is where I live," I said reluctantly.

"All right," Tanya said, straightening up her backpack. "Let's see this new dragon of yours."

As we got closer to my house we could hear more crashing and screaming. I lead Tanya to my porch and we both stop at the front door.

"Well, aren't you going to let me in?" Tanya asked.

I didn't want to, that was the problem. Who knows what kind of devastation the dragon could have caused while I was gone. My house was already a mess and I didn't want a girl from a Noble House see me living in such a state. Perhaps it was wrong of me to let her come here in the first place.

Without warning, Tanya stepped forward and opened the door. The Gods must have been cruel, for the door was unlocked. I heard her gasp in shock. I step inside to survey the damage. The curtains were torn up, the furniture ruined; some of them on fire. There was Bright-Tooth eating my mom's meatloaf and tearing apart my dad's morning paper.

"DASH!" shouted my sister, Kate. "It's about damn time ya got here! That little varmint is a menace!"

"It's no so bad," I argued pitifully. "We can clean this place up."

"Not so bad!" Kate roared. "He just set the barn on fire! Ruined all of our material goods! The tracker's been burnt to a crisp! He chewed up mom's favorite curtains, ate all my underpants, and you don't want to know what he did to the cat!"

"Hey, what happened to the cat?" I asked.

Bright Tooth let out a loud burp, spitting Mr. Bigglesworth's collar and large tufts of his fur.

"Oh, geeze!" I said slapping my hands on my head. "Grandma's gonna kill me!"

"HOLD!" Tanya shouted, holding out her hand.

Bright Tooth, stood at attention.

"SIT!" she commanded.

Bright Tooth did as he was commanded.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"Once you show them who's boss, they'll understand and behave themselves," said Tanya. "You try to be nice, and these little creatures will walk all over you."

"I yelled at him all day!" said Kate. "He didn't listen to me."

"Did you say it with authority? Or where you hiding?"

"Got me there," Kate said scratching her head. "I hid behind cover as I told him."

"Well, you're only showing fear if you're hiding," Tanya said walking to Bright Tooth and scratching the back of his head, causing him to wag his tail with excitement. "Dragons are proud creatures. They only show respect to those who deserve it. And those who show them fear deserve no respect."

"Serves us both right," I said with embarrassment. "I should have called for some professional help."

"Well, it's a good thing I found you then," said Tanya. "If you want this little guy to be your mount, you have to earn his respect."

"Well, we better train him and quick," I said. "The tournament is fast approaching, and I need a mount now!"

"All right," said Tanya. "I suppose there is a thing or two I can teach you. But you're going to have to listen and listen good."

Six Months Later...

My alarm wakes me for school the next morning. I groan in frustration and fumble for it from underneath my sheets. I get out of bed, shower and then dress for another day of lectures.

"Dash!" my mom calls out. "Don't forget to feed Bright Tooth before you go to school!"

"Okay mom!" I answered, slipping on my backpack. I have a meager breakfast of toast and a slice of ham with orange juice before going into outside. I can hear the insects of the summer buzzing and chirping their serenade of the dawn as I feel the cold chill of winter fast approaching. The sun was barely peeking over the mountains, casting the world around me in tinge of grayish-blue. I go into the newly built barn house and find the carcass of a deer my sister hunted the day before. I put on some gloves and grab a carving knight to get a good slice of meat off the beast. Then, I head outside the barn and throw the meat onto the chilling wet grass.

"Bright Tooth!" I shouted.

Silence.

I call again for him. Still, only the insects answer my calls. I heard a loud whoosh! Over my head. A shadow whisks by me. I look up and see Bright Tooth, now an adolescent Wyrm as tall as a small house and wingspan longer than my school bus, at least it would be if it hadn't been for that deformed short wing. Still it provided him with enough thrust to take off into the sky, that being said his steering was a little off. But he was getting better at flying. He sniffs the meat and devours it.

"Think you're ready to take me to school?" I asked.

Getting on was what I did best and this seat felt cushier for me because I was on a new seat. Any moment now we would take off from the ground and I would get to smell the air for how fresh it truly was.

Bright-Tooth gallops forward down the meadow spooking some of the cattle grazing in our land. He spreads his wings and then jumps. I see the world around me shrinking and I could feel the air against my face after so many months on the ground. I felt like I was home back in the clouds as Bright Tooth soars over the mountains. His flight path wasn't perfect due to his smaller wing, but nevertheless he was able to fly effortlessly through the air.

In just seconds we soar over the River Tel and the bridge. The cars and trucks looking like little ants from how high we were. I let out a loud cheer and hold my arms up. Bright Tooth looks back at me grinning and dives down towards The Bay of Hades, my favorite hangout to spend time with my friends after school. Bright Tooth glides over the water, the jet wash he creates making fierce wakes in the water underneath us.

Some fishermen in a small boat wake up from their boredom and stare at me and Bright Tooth as we soar past them. They wave hello and I wave back.

I hear an alarm beep on my watch.

"Oh-no Bright Tooth, I'm going to be late for school!"

Bright Tooth soars into the air and leaves the lake behind us. We fly over the forest until I see the buildings of glass and steel up ahead.

As we approach the school grounds, we turn a lot of heads. A lot of my classmates point to the sky as Bright Tooth lands in the baseball field to drop me off.

Tanya runs towards me and waves her arm to get my attention, telling us to wait for her.

"I see he's grown up rather nicely," Tanya said inspecting my dragon. "You've been feeding him right. His scales are clean, talons sharp. Not bad, Dash, not bad."

I heard obnoxious laughter. Not surprising to me, it was Marcus, surrounded by his posse.

"What is that!" he shouts disrespectfully. "You call that beast a dragon!"

" I call it a good friend Marcus who will ride in the next tournament where I will show everyone that one loss doesn't decide where I go down as a dragon duelist." I said.

" That's an interesting story. Too bad it will never happen because I'm going to win."

"What's the trouble here?" asked our headmistress.

"Nothing Miss Barrett," we all said in unison.

"And who's dragon is that?" she asks walking towards Bright Tooth. "Dragons are not aloud on school grounds except during events."

"He's not staying ma'am," I said nervously. "He's just here to take me to school."

"Very well, Dash. Send him away and head to class. I congratulate you for finding a new mount in time for the games. I was rather upset about what happened to Nyx."

"Thank you, ma'am. And he's doing well by the way,"

"I'm sure," Ms. Barrett says coldly. "Come on, off to class all of you."

Tanya and I walk away, leaving Marcus and his group behind while Bright Tooth flies away.

"I can't believe he got a new mount before the tournament, boss!" says one of his goons, a rather large boy with a round pink nose named Julio of House Rodriguez.

"He is not entering that tournament!" Marcus growls. "I paid that sniper a lot of Gems (the world's currency) for taking out Nyx, and now I can't afford to hire his services."

"Can't you just ask your paps for help?" asks one of his younger friends, a short blue-haired boy named Gordon.

"No, they have no clue I sent the mercenary to take Dash and Nyx out of the competition. My family maybe influential, corrupt at times, but they still have a creed of honor in their coat-of-arms when it comes to dragon dueling. If they ever found out I did, I'll be disavowed from my House and they'll give Tartarus, my dragon, to my older sister, Lorica. After all, he was meant for her. I just had mother pull a few strings to have King Norman give him to me instead."

"Hey, why don't we all pitch in and help you out!" asked a tall, skinny, buck-toothed blond named Wilkins. "We come from houses of nobility, too, we can chip in some cash and take that new dragon out like you did to Nyx."

"I can't do that," Marcus said reluctantly. "If something were to happen to Dash's dragon again, I'd be heavily investigated. I'm still in a lot of trouble for the missing Gems that went to the mercenary I hired. But thanks anyway."

"Hold up, a second," said a cocky blonde boy, well dressed in a white suit with gold buttons and a tie damasked in gold. He was no more than thirteen. His hair was gelled back and curled at the back. His eyes were as blue as the sky above. He was leaning against a lamp post listening to everything Marcus had said.

"Who are you kid?"

"Kid?" the boy scoffed. He had an annoyingly scratchy voice. He introduced himself, rather confidently as Prince Rufio Aeduuard Maxwell XIII, of the Kingdom of Alria.

"What are you doing here?" Marcus asks, kneeling for a bow.

"I'm a bit of a genius," the little prince boasted. "I skipped a grade or two to get here. I heard St. Murphy's Academy has some of the best dragon duelists in the land, so I asked my mother, the queen, to transfer me here to this fine establishment. I couldn't help but hear about your underhanded tactic to take the legendary Nyx out of the games."

"Prince or not," stammered Julio, "if you say a word about what happened to Nyx I'll pound ya!"

"That will not be wise," said the little prince's knight. A woman with hair like strands of shimmering gold and a heart-shaped face with eyes like emeralds. She wore heavy armor of engraved platinum trimmed in silver and myrrh that reflected the sun like a mirror. Her armored skirt showing off her long legs covered in white-lace stockings. Her breastplate, forged to fit her bust, was decorated to with dragon-shaped ornamentation made of glass, diamond and steel. A white cloth-of-gold cape that went down just to her lower back waved elegantly in the wind. She had a sword hanging from her back with a battle rifle coated in platinum plating. Every inch of it from the barrel to the scope was laser engraved with floral filigree designs.

Marcus and his friends babble like idiots upon setting eyes on Prince Rufio's beautiful blonde knight.

"Ah, forgive me for being so rude," said Rufio. "Allow me to introduce you to the Dame (female knight), Trish Godiva, Knightmaiden of the Realm. And my personal bodyguard." He leans forward to whisper into Marcus's ear. "And sometimes, my masseuse rrrrow."

"Lay a hand on the prince and I will see it chopped off," Knight Trish says coldly, almost in a whisper. She was ready to kill.

"Now, now, Lady Godiva, that is no way to treat my new friends," chuckled Rufio. "Don't mind her, gentlemen. She can be rather sweet. She's also one hell of a duelist if you can believe that. She can play a mean Felgrand Dragon deck atop her mount, Hilda the White Beast of Alria."

"I'd like to take her on sometime," said Marcus. "But I believe you had something to tell me."

"Yes, why don't we meet after class, though. The bell will ring any moment, and I will not be tardy on my first day. Come, Lady Godiva."

"Hey, where do you want to meet?" Marcus asked.

"At the Dueling Fields," Prince Rufio reaches into his pocket and gives Marcus a white card with his name and phone number written in gold on the front. The back bore the insignia of the queen.

"See you there, Lord Marcus," he said before walking away with his knight.

"Ho, ho," said Wilkins, blushing bright red. "I want to duel her!"

"I wonder what the prince has against Dash, though," said little Gordon.

"We're about to find out," said Marcus.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

* * *

 **The Royal Blood Of A Red Eyes  
**

 **Knights & Battle For The Throne **

* * *

**Dash**

* * *

The school day was arduous and long, as you would expect. We finally reached our Duel Period, which was like our recess. It was the moment I was waiting for all day. After so many delays and interruptions, Tanya and I were going to have our duel. She came back from the rental station and handed me the school's standard issue Duel Disk.

"Okay," she said, slapping it into her arm. "It's time to duel, Dash!"

"HOLD!" someone shouted running past me and making a dramatic baseball slide towards Tanya. He had a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Oh no, not you, Alston! How many times have I told you I'm not interested!"

Alston was a rather icky looking boy, with fish-like lips, dots of freckles on his face, swerved navy-blue-hair and gold glasses.

"If I may but, humbly ask for one date, my lady!" he begs her. "Just one date!"

"No! I'd rather date a red horn!"

"Please, my lady Tanya, give me but just one chance!"

"No!"

"Come on, dude, leave her alone!" I said.

"What ho! Who is this? My lady Tanya you would have this fool in your heart in place of me?"

"What no!" I shouted, waving my hands. "It's not like that. I don't like her that way!"

"You don't?" Tanya said, her eyes glistening with hurt.

"Wait no...I..."

"You've hurt my lady!" shouted Alston. "I will teach you to break the heart of my fair maiden!"

"What's his problem?" I asked.

"He was knighted by Sir Gregory of the Black Mountains," Tanya answered. "He's been taking this whole knight thing very seriously. If you ask me, I think Sir Gregory did it hastily to get him off his back."

"Sir Gregory named me a knight with honor and dignity!" shouted Alston. "I am a knight. And being so, I challenge this knave to a duel!"

"Me?"

"Is there anyone else here? Come. Take ready your cards and duel! I, Sir Alston Maximilian, have made the challenge! What say you?"

"I will accept, so long as you speak common tongue for goodness sake."

"You'd best be careful, Dash. He runs a pretty strong Warrior deck. Gods save you if he gets the Crimson Blader out.

"I can handle it," I said confidently. "Let's do this!"

"It's time to duel, you peasant!" shouted Alston.

" I get to go first in this duel. Thou shall feel the burning power of my Red-Eyes." I looked at the five cards in my hand. I had a good hand. " I activate the ritual card Dark Dragon Ritual. By tributing monsters from my hand or field whose total levels equal four or more I can Ritual Summon Paladin of Dark Dragon."

I tributed my level 4 Keeper of the Shrine to summon my Paladin of Dark Dragon. My monster was one of three Ritual monsters that if you tribute them you can special summon a certain monster. He rode a black dragon with a skull resembling the xenomorph's from aliens a little and he was a black armoured knight on that dragon.

" I tribute my Paladin of Dark Dragon to special summon Meteor Dragon Red Eyes Impact in defence mode ( ATK:1800/DEF: 2000)." What came was a veiny red rotund dragon with a big mouth but small teeth lying on its belly to protect me. " I activate Cards of the Red Stone. By sending a Level 7 Red Eyes monster from my hand to the graveyard I can draw two cards."

This dueling made me give up my whole hand, also my Red Eyes Black Dragon, to draw two cards to my hand. They were both trap cards. One was a good card while the other wasn't.

" I Normal Summon Meteor Dragon Red Eyes Impact to make it an Effect Monster and gain its effects. Lastly, I set two cards facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Dash**

 **[0]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Meteor Dragon Red Eyes Impact**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (2): Two set cards**

 **Life Points: 4000**

" Now that it is my turn I get to draw for my turn." Alston said right before he drew a card. " I activate Trade-In. With this card I send a level 8 monster from my hand to the graveyard to draw two cards. My Phoenix Gearfried is a level eight so he righteously goes to my graveyard."

Alston showed me a Gemini monster like the ones in my deck. He put it in the slot you put cards you want to go in the graveyard so he could draw two cards.

" I activate the Warrior Returning Alive, saving my monster from being taken out of this game by adding him back into my hand." Alison popped the card in his graveyard back into his hand. " I have my reasons for this monster and it's my spell card One For One. By sending Phoenix Gearfried to my graveyard I can special summon the level one warrior tuner monster Attack Gainer (0/0)."

Just like in my duel against Marcus Alston special Summoned a level one monster, but his was a Tuner monster.

" I now normal summon the level 4 warrior Gemini monster Knight Day Grepher (1700/1600." His monster was a cape wearing pink shirt version of a another card who carried a bigger sword. " I tune my Level one Attack Gainer with my Level 4 Knight Day Grepher to Synchro Summon the level 5 X-Saber Wayne (2100/400)."

The same thing happened in the synchro summoning as my duel against Marcus. The tuner monster created circles that surrounded Grepher and small orbs appeared equal to the number of stars they had. What appeared was a man covered in a big cowboy suit mostly the colour white. He had a blue scarf, brown hat, and orange eyes with a weapon in hand.

" When this monster is Synchro Summoned I can special summon a level 4 or lower warrior monster so I choose XX-Saber Fulheimknight ( 1300/1000)."

A young boy twirling a chain of deadly small weapons appeared on the field. He was very giddy about something but I wasn't sure what.

" Now I Synchro summon my level 5 XX-Saber Wayne with my level 3 tuner monster Fulheimknight to Synchro summon on my first turn my majestic monster Crimson Blader (2800/2600."

This was a big synchro summon that paid off with a very tall red cloaked warrior carrying two blades. The crimson must be because his cloak was so red and its eyes were on me.

" Finally, I make my monster a killing machine by equipping it with Magnum Shield. This spell gives my warrior monster attack from its defense points while in attack position raising him to be a 5400 ATK point monster."

I couldn't believe it when he gave his monster a yellow shield that just made him more powerful than any monster I have faced so far. I had a very hard time finding a way to beat this thing.

" For my last card I use Magic Reflector. I pick a face-up spell card giving it a Reflector counter. The first time this spell card would be destroyed by a card effect it is not destroyed. All cards gone I proceed to my battle phase. Crimson Blader, Phoenix Swevel!"

The tall red armoured monster tried to scratch away my Meteor Dragon. " I activate Return of the Red Eyes. If I control a Red Eyes Monster I can special summon a normal Red Eyes monster in graveyard. I choose Red Eyes Black Dragon and bring him back in defense mode."

Hiding behind its pitch black wings was the card that started my crusade in becoming a duelist. Thanks to Meteor Dragon Red Eyes Impact's ability he cannot destroy my monster, only my Meteor Dragon. His Crimson Blader did however aim for my dragon already and destroyed it.

" Crimson Blader's effect: When a monster you control is destroyed by battle you cannot normal or special summon level 5 or higher monsters. You are using a hopeless dragon deck, a deck comprised of high level dragons. You may find cards that can protect you but protection is all you get because I only have Crimson Blader to fight with, but soon you will lose in one spin of my monsters blade. I end my turn."

 **Name: Alston**

 **[0]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Crimson Blader**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (1): Magnum Shield  
**

I knew there were some cards that could help me in this deck. I also had one trick in my graveyard and I was going to use it. I drew Card Car D for my draw phase.

" Dark Dragon Ritual's effect: I can banish if from my graveyard to add one Spell/Trap card that lists Red Eyes in its name. I pick Red Eyes Spirit."

What I added was a card that would protect my life points hopefully the turn after Alston's next turn. Right now I had to just keep it set.

" I set one trap card facedown and for my final move I summon Cardcar D. When Cardcar D is normal Summoned I can tribute it to draw two cards, but then it becomes my end phase."

I picked two cards, one was a spell card and the other was my other level one monster. I didn't have to declare it was my end phase because everyone knew.

 **Name: Dash**

 **[2]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Red Eyes Black Dragon**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (2): Set Cards**

 **Life Points: 4000**

Alston drew one card. He looked at it with a knowing smile like it was a lottery ticket he knew was an instant win.

" I activate Card of Demise. This card allows me to draw three cards because I draw until there's three cards in my hand with three rules: One, my opponent takes no battle damage this turn. Two, I cannot special summon this turn. Three, all cards in my hand go to my graveyard at the end of my turn. I activate two Exiled Forces. One Exiled Force gives a warrior I control two hundred extra attack points for each warrior I control. Now it's four hundred since I have two. I also normal summon Marauding Captain ( 1200/400)."

A bowlcut blond haired warrior with two long swords and short blue eyes appeared on Alston's field. He rose to an attack of 2000 thanks to his continuous spells and Crimson Blader became a 6200 ATK point monster.

" I may not be able to inflict damage but I can attack you, Crimson Blader destroy his Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

He used the same move he used to destroy my Meteor Dragon Red Eyes Impact. However, this time I had a little surprise for him.

" When a dragon monster I control is destroyed by battle or card effect I can special summon Keeper of the Shrine and I choose to summon him in defense mode ( ATK:0/DEF:2000). After he's special Summoned I can add one normal dragon monster from my deck to my hand."

Keeper of the Shrine reminded me of Santa Claus if he was a dragonoid, a humanoid dragon. Alston couldn't destroy him with Marauding Captain. I added an original Meteor Dragon from my deck to my hand.

" You still cannot normal or special summon monsters level 5 or higher. I end my turn."

 **Name: Alston**

 **[0]**

 **Monster Zone (2): Crimson Blader, Marauding Captain**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (3): Magnum Shield, The Exiled Forces X 2**

 **Life Points: 4000**

I drew for my turn a card I added to my deck because I knew it might come in handy one day. First though I activated the spell card in my hand.

" I activate Shield & Sword. All monsters on the field have their ATK and DEF switch for the turn."

Keeper of Shrine ATK: 2000

Crimson Blader ATK: 6200

I was aiming for Marauding Captain. He only had four hundred defense so even with the power boost his ATK was only 1200.

" I switch Keeper of the Shrine to Attack Mode and attack Marauding Captain."

My Keeper of Shrine breathed fire he thought wasn't in his body because his attack was 0 before I helped him. Marauding Captain tried to survive the flames but ended up being exploded off the field.

" I set one card facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Dash**

 **[2]**

 **Monster Zone ( 1): Keeper of the Shrines**

 **Spell/ Trap Zone ( 3): Set Cards**

 **Life Points: 4000**

Alston drew for his turn. " I set one card facedown in my spell and trap zone. Now I attack for game with my 5400 Crimson Blader against your 0 attack point monster."

Crimson Blader attacked me in a tornado of fire ready to tear Keeper of the Shrine.

" I activate Waboku. This turn monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle and I take no battle damage."

Crimson Blader couldn't destroy my Keeper of the Shrine so this turn and next turn I could summon level 5 or higher monsters.

" I end my turn."

 **Name: Alston**

 **[0]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Crimson Blader**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (4): Magnum Shield, Exiled Forces X 2, one set card**

 **Life Points: 3200**

I needed only one card to at least attempt to make this duel a draw. If I prolonged it much longer one of us would lose and it would probably be me. I drew a spell card, the card I needed.

" First I activated the trap card Red Eyes Spirit which special summons the Red Eyes Black Dragon in my graveyard." I said.

" Two can play it that way." said Alston. " I activate Call of the Haunted bringing back Phoenix Gearfried in my graveyard."

A tall man in white armor carrying a long sword and a white shield appeared on his field. It's attack was 3600 thanks to the two Exiled Forces. He might have thought it was a good move but it really wasn't.

" I activate Dragon's Gunfire. If I control a dragon monster I can destroy a monster with eight hundred defense or less or inflict eight hundred points of damage to you. I choose to inflict eight hundred damage."

From above a dragon with black encrusted eyes shot a large flamethrower of fire at Alston. His life points were lowered to 2400, I can win this.

" Next I normal summon Black Metal Dragon (600)." A chibi version of Red Eyes appeared on my field. It looked so cute even if it was based on a horrid dragon. " Black Metal Dragon can equip to a monster and increase its attack by six hundred points. I choose Red Eyes Black Dragon ( 3000). Red Eyes attack his Phoenix Gearfried."

" What?!" Everyone exclaimed.

My Red Eyes was soaring to be destroyed, it was part of my plan. Red Eyes was eventually destroyed by Phoenix Gearfried's burning sword of Phoenix fire and I lost six hundred life points. But I would lose more and Alston would lose this duel.

" I activate Red Eyes Burn. When one Red Eyes B. Dragon is destroyed I can inflict damage to both of us equal to its original Attack. This means I win Alston."

What felt like a volcano about erupt hit the stadium as a burning hot Red Eyes Dragon soared into the air. Before it went too high it split in half where one of its two sides went to me and the other went for Alston. They both exploded as they touched us. I was able to stand because I had 1000 Life Points while Alston was on his hands and one hand holding his face while he suffered a vexing defeat.

" I'm responsible for my own loss...!"

"I won," I boasted proudly. "Now get lost, Alston."

"Very well, but I assure you, Lady Tanya will be mine."

"Doesn't sound like she's too fond of you dude."

"In time she will learn to love me!" Alston said passionately.

"No I won't."

"You will see!" Alston shouts before turning away.

 **Marcus**

"This is the place," said Wilkins. "The Dueling Fields. Let's see what Prince Rufio has in store for us."

"I'm going in alone if you don't mind," Marcus says to his friends.

"But boss!" said Julio.

"No buts you guys. I can handle this alone."

"Oh, man, I wanted to see Lady Trish again!" wailed Wilkins.

"See you in school tomorrow then, Marcus," said Gordon.

Marcus nods and walks into the Duel Fields. They were vast and bright green outlined by forests of oak and ash. Duels were sprawling all over the meadows, ruining the tranquility of the afternoon with blasts from various attacks. Sitting by the lake was Rufio, arrogantly having tea on a white outdoor table. His knight, Trish, was standing next to him. The glistening water behind her creating a heavenly hue of gold behind her.

"Ah, Lord Marcus," he calls out signaling me to come further. "Come sit."

Marcus nods and marches proudly to the table. Rufio pours him some tea.

"So, what do you want with me?" Marcus asks. A curious eye rolls towards Knight Trish.

"We have a common interest, Marcus, and that is taking Dash out of the tournament." Prince Rufio sipped his tea. His other hand holding on to the cup's saucer.

"What's your beef with him?"

"A matter of the gravest importance," said Rufio. "He is the son of my step-father."

"Your step-father? Didn't you say your mother is the queen. So that means that..."

"Yes. Dash is a prince," said Rufio. "My step-father King John, had a romance with a pretty battlefield medic in the War of the Two Suns many years ago. But fearing reprisal from my mother, he had the baby hidden until he was at the age to rule."

"So what does that make you?"

"He doesn't like me," said Rufio. "He feels I'm not meant to rule. So he'd have his illegitimate son take the Sky Throne himself. Now the only way for Dash to prove himself as a capable heir is to win the Duel Monsters tournament coming up. I heard he's gotten really good at the game."

"Yeah, and Tanya has given him some pretty amazing cards so he's gotten good. I fear my taking out of Nyx only delayed Dash of the games. But if he wins the qualifier next month, we're going to be in trouble. And I can't afford to lose the games, because if I do, I'll lose my dragon Tartarus."

"You mean you fly The Great Black Horror?" Rufio asks, interestingly raising his eyebrow.

"Color me impressed," said Trish.

"So what do you suggest we do, Rufio?"

"You and I don't want Dash to compete in the games. If he wins you lose your dragon. And I lose my rightful place as king. So, I'm placing a large bounty out on Dash and his new dragon, Bright Tooth. And I'm going to need you to spread the word to every low life in town. Wear him out, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I get it."

* * *

"Thanks for getting rid of that creep," said Tanya. "Man, that's like the fifth guy this week who tried to win my heart."

"You are child in one of the most powerful Houses in the city," I said, walking with Tanya into the meadow where our dragons were drinking water in the lake. Godiva, her great golden dragon slurped the cool water happily, towering above Bright Tooth, still just a juvenile Wyvern. We approach the water's edge and she takes off her shoes and socks, then dipping them into the water to cool them from the long walk we had from school.

"Is it hard being nobility?" I asked, taking off my backpack to get out some of my leftover lunch from school.

"It can be," Tanya said, staring at her dragon. "I hate it sometimes."

"I would give my left foot just to live like you," I said biting into my sandwich.

"You'd demand to have it reattached in a day or two," Tanya chuckled, flashing her signature cute smile. "People always tell you where to go, how to dress, who to talk to. How to eat is the worst. I love how you and your family only use a fork and knife to eat your food. In my home, we eat dinner surrounded by silverware. Forks for salad, forks for steaks. And I have to eat them in a certain order, because that's 'proper etiquette'," she scoffs and tosses a stone into the lake. "And I when I play Duel Monsters, I don't play for the fun of it. It's a more serious matter when you're a noble. People expect you to be the best. Things are different when I hang out with you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you don't call me, 'My Lady' and you treat me as a person and not some prize to be won by some other creep of nobility or a wannabe knight, like that Alston creep. I appreciate that very much."

"You're welcome," I said.

"Hey, I have an idea! Since you've protected me twice from creeps, why don't I make you my honorary guardian?"

"Really?"

"Yes, I could make you into my official knight-champion. With you by my side, it will keep Marcus and the others away from me, what do you say?"

"A knight-champion? Me?"

"Yeah," Tanya looked around. She found a stick and picked it up. "Kneel," she ordered me.

"Wait a minute, I thought only knights can make men knights."

"Lords and ladies have that power too," said Tanya. "And I am a Lady of the Realm, naming her best friend as her knight and champion."

"Gee, I don't know what so say."

"You needn't say anything, just kneel."

I did. The cool grass sending a chill in my knees, exposed by my shorts.

"Dash Skyhold, I name you an honorary knight of the kingdom. Will you be by my side and safeguard me from those who would do harm to me? And will you protect the people of the realm?"

"I do."

"Then arise, Sir Dash Skyhold;The Knight of Friendship and Champion of me, Lady Tanya of House Marigold."

"I am honored, Tanya."

"Looks like we're going to have to get you some armor, for what's a knight without his armor? Plus, it think it'll make you look 'Dashing' for the games. See what I did there?"

"Oh, no, Tanya, that's no necessary."

"I say it is," said Tanya, placing her hands on her hips. "Don't worry, you're going to look great. Plus, my father is a loyal customer of your dad. We get a lot of dragons for the aerial cavalry from your place. I'm sure getting you some dragon duel armor will be a great way for him to give thanks for your services."

"I can't thank you enough," I said with emotion. "I've always wanted to be a knight."

"And, I'll see you're given a proper Duel Disk. One worthy of someone of your skills."

"You think I'm that good huh?"

"Your skills are pretty amazing," said Tanya, again giving me that smile that lifts my spirits. "I mean you beat the champion of House Ironheart. You scared him so bad he set out a bounty on you."

"You're kidding!" I cried out. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know," Tanya said, taking a flier out of the back pocket of her denim shorts. "It says here that Marcus has will give a reward of five thousand Gems to the duelist who defeats you in a duel."

"That low-life. Can't finish me off on his own, so he'll have others take me on instead."

"I think this will be a chance to prove yourself," said Tanya. "To my father, too, and show him you are a true knight worthy for me. He'll definitely build you some duel armor if you impress him with your skills and beat all the bounty hunters who come your way. He's really into the game, and longs to meet great duelists. Had you won the promotional tournament a few months ago against Marcus, he would have invited you over for dinner."

"I didn't lose, the match was stolen from me."

"I know," Tanya says seriously. Her smile fading. "Someone tried to do both you and Nyx in."

"And when I find out who, they're dead!" I said kicking a rock furiously into the lake.

"I'll help out anyway I can, too. What an asshole thing to do to you and a legendary beast like Nyx."

"I have a feeling it was Marcus. I feel he had something to do with this."

"I can't help but feel the same way you do. But we can't just blindly point fingers at him without proof. So I called my friend Nixie from Starfall City down south. She's a dragon rider too, and a tracker. She once helped me and my family find the perp who stole one of Godiva's eggs and smashed the others. She'll help us find the low-life who shot Nyx."

"Thanks, Tanya."

"But she won't do it for free though,"

"How much does she want?"

"This isn't a matter of money," Tanya scoffed folding her arms. "She want's to test out your skills in a match. And she can play a mean dinosaur deck. Her Ultimate Tyranno has spelled doom for a number of duelists over the years. Speaking of numbers, do you know she possesses two of the legendary Number Cards."

"I've heard of those! They're impossible to find."

"Damn right they are, but Nixie is good at finding things out. I told you she's good. She hold number nineteen and sixty-one."

"And she wants to use her Number Cards on me?"

"That's right and she's on her way, so look out and prepare, Sir Knight. She's going to give you duel of your life."

* * *

A convoy of stretched limousines parked outside the five-yard-long driveway of a lavish estate perched beneath the foot of Gerald Mountain, the tallest mountain in Novimagnus (the name of the kingdom). Marcus drank lemon soda pretentiously from a wine glass as he watched his guests from behind the stained glass window as they were exiting their vehicles. The mansion was Marcus's private home where he would hang out with his friends during the summer months and duel or swim in the hidden lake underneath his home. The guests were all youths no older than sixteen. The youngest being a boy of nine. They all gathered around a fountain of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon holding cans of soda or a plate of hors d'oeuvres from the buffet table in the foyer which offered a panoramic view of the dark forest outside. They were all waiting for their host, who was still upstairs.

"Who are these kids you invited?" Prince Rufio asked, reading a book by the fireplace.

"These kids are some of the best duelists in the kingdom," said Marcus, pouring himself more soda. "That bounty you offered for the defeat of Dash has attracted a lot of duelists, but they're all amateurs. I can duel better than most of them. So, I took the liberty of sending out invitations to the top-ranked players. They have impeccable skills and fly some of the fastest dragons. These guys have a better chance of taking Dash out of the tournament, mark my words. They'll beat him so bad; he'll never duel again. And what's a king if he can't duel?"

"Does your step-father know of Dash's whereabouts?" Knight Trish asked, standing over him. Her armor was gone. Instead, she was donning a black cocktail dress with a plunging neckline. Black nine-inch heels replaced her heavy greaves.

When Marcus asked her oldness, she answered twenty-one. He could not believe one so ripe of age be serving as both a guard and, dare he say, eye candy for this young runt-of-a-prince. Rufio had no shame parading her around like this. Then again, even her armor left little to the imagination.

"He still searches, thank goodness," Prince Rufio answered. "Hopefully Dash will be defeated by then."

"Why doesn't he want you to rule?" Marcus asked.

"He says I'm not fit," said Rufio. "And even though my mother is his wife, I don't share his blood, because I was conceived by another. My birth father was the Duke of Evanshire, but he died in the War of the Two Suns. King Rommel was infatuated with my widowed mother after the war and married her. But I can't help but feel she had him wrapped around her finger. She's a manipulator, and really good one. I'd head downstairs if I were you. Your guests are waiting."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

* * *

 **Tanya's Wild Friend Nixie**

 **Dragon Knights**

* * *

Marcus introduced himself to his guests quite arrogantly, boasting about his accomplishments and of his great beast, Tartarus the Great Black Horror. But his guests were all the best riders in the kingdom. And they were in no mood to listen to his gloating. Some of them accomplished much more than Marcus ever did when they were merely rookies. Eventually one of the guests, a girl in a wine-red gown and curled navy blue hair slammed her cup into the table and shouted. "Get to the point!"

"You must be?" Marcus asked.

"Out of my mind if I believe I can listen to you any longer."

"Straight to the point then? Very well. I'd like thank you all for coming tonight. Now as you know, the upcoming tournament is coming up. The Gold City Grand Prix. And there is a certain dragon ride in the midst that needs to be removed from the roster. Before we begin let us start with a round of introductions. Starting with you, girl in the red."

"I am Garnet Forestyne. I am the rank one duelist in the city of Eredon. I run a Fire Fist deck."

The next person to introduce himself was a young man with spiked white hair that went down to his back. He wore a hooded black parka and black slacks tucked into black boots. "I am Dean the White Knight of Snowhorn. And the rank one duelist of the city. And my Ice Barrier deck has never failed me."

"I am Esteban del Castillo the rank one duelist of Costa del Sol. And this is my little brother, Hector. The rank two duelist. We both run the best water decks in the kingdom."

"Greetings Master Marcus, I am Gerard Bradburn, of the city of Cresthill. I go to battle with a Lightray deck."

"I am George Owen," said a fellow with a wide cowboy hat. "I hail from the dusty plains of Galizona. My dinos have stomped my opponents into submission."

"And I am, Angeline Dieudonné," said a young lady with curled blonde hair. "I am from the Empire of Olevia. My Chaos Emperor Dragon has brought doom to countless opponents."

"It is good to meet you all," said Marcus. "As I said, there is a dragon rider heading for the tournament that must be eliminated. His name is Dash the rider who once flew with the legendary dragon, Nyx. That is why you are all here. There is a reward of five thousand Gems to the one who takes him down."

"So, you need us to take him out, eh?" sneered little Hector. "That should be easy."

"My Chaos Emperor is ready to fly," said Angeline. "Just tell us where he is and we shall dispose of him."

"He lives in Goldcircle City. Beat him so bad that he never flies again!"

Angeline had a wicked smirk on her face as she pictured the pain she would give to Dash and relish every minute of it. She would be sure she fought him first and ended his dragon riding charade.

* * *

(Dash)

I waited in the train station in the center of Goldcircle City. I leaned my back against the wall as I watched Tanya eagerly await the coming of the train which was transporting her friend, Nixie. I couldn't help but admire how cute she looked. She let her hair grow and was wearing a pink spring skirt and a white top under a denim jacket. The cold robotic voice on the intercom announced the arrival of the next train and I saw Tanya jump up and down. I heard it rumbling in the distance and braced my ears for its loud groan as it came to a stop. The doors opened and a flood of people came out and Tanya disappeared into the crowd. When the crowd dispersed I saw Tanya squeal with joy and give a jump.

My heart skipped a beat when her friend Nixie came out of the train. She had messy shoulder-length blonde hair, tucked underneath a white straw hat. A dinosaur tooth hung around her neck. She wore a flannel top tied over her midriff and daisy dukes. I could see the strap of a red thong peering from out the left side of her shorts making me get sweaty. The girl was hot and she knew it and flaunted it well. She had desert tan tactical gloves on her fingers with carbon fiber knuckle guards which she used while digging for fossils in the deserts of Galizona. She saw me, piercing my soul with her opal eyes and gave a wink.

"You must be Dash," she said placing her hands on her hips. She challenged me with her bronzed physique.

"I am," I responded nervously.

"Get your deck ready then, buck-a-roo. It's time to duel. Let's see if your Red-Eyes can handle my Dinos."

We couldn't duel in the subway station but we had our duel in the same ares air dueled Marcus in. She on the other hand I was looking forward to dueling.

" I'll start first," I said. " I activate Cards of the Red Stone. I send a level 7 Red Eyes monster from my hand to the graveyard to draw two cards."

The card I sent to my graveyard was my Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon monster. I had a plan for it so everything was okay. " Next I active Red Eyes Fusion. I send monsters from my deck to the graveyard that can create a Red Eyes Fusion monster. I send my normal Red Eyes to my graveyard and Summon Skull to Fusion summon Red Eyes Archfiend Dragon (3200)."

Before I met Tanya this was my most powerful monster. It was a bony monster but not as bony as its original counterpart Black Skull Dragon, had eyes burning like an inferno, and big wings.

" I set one card facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Dash**

 **[3]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Red Eyes Archfiend Dragon**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (1): Set card.**

 **Life Points: 4000**

Nixie drew one card for her turn. She put her hand on her thigh making it go slowly down trying to stimulate my attention on her.

" I special summon Gilasauris in Attack Mode (1400)." A monster based on an old dinosaur called a raptor appeared on the field. It had light black scales and small black eyes. " By special summoning this monster you get to special summon a monster from your graveyard."

I chose to summon the Summoned Skull (2500). Summoned Skull was the honest monster around with two horns on its head making it look like a goat. Something told me she wanted me to have an extra monster.

" I special summon another Gilasauris and you special summon another monster from your graveyard."

I knew what this was. She wanted two monsters on her field for a tribute summon of a very powerful monster. That reason was why I put my next monster, Red Eyes Black Flare Dragon, on the field in defense position.

She smiled. " So you figured my plan. I tribute my two Gilasaurus to summon Ultimate Tyranno (3000)."

This was the monster card Tanya warned me about. It certainly left more of an intimidation when it arrived than two measly little dinosaurs. If there was any relief it was I had a 3200 attack point monster on the field.

" I attack your Summoned Skull. Survival of the Dinosaur Teeth."

Her monster attacked with sharp teeth swallowing my monster up before crunching it into pixels. I lost five hundred life points from that attack.

" Since my Ultimate Tyrannosaurus can attack more than one monster he will destroy your Red Eyes. Survival of the Dinosaur stomp."

I watched as my Red Eyes exploded from just the feet of her monster. I was down to my last monster.

" I set one card facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Nixie**

 **[2]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Ultimate Tyranno**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (1): Set Card**

 **Life Points:4000**

I had a chance to defeat her this turn. All I had to do was summon Black Comet Dragon this turn, send a powerful Red Eyes to my Graveyard to deal 12 to 14 hundred damage, attack her monster with Red Eyes Archfiend Dragon and use his Effect to summon Red Eyes B. Dragon back into my deck to take away the rest of her life points.

" I activate Foolish Burial. This card allows me to send one monster from my deck to the graveyard and I choose Red Eyes Meteor Impact Dragon." That card stuck out of my duel disk. The next thing I did was put it in my graveyard. " I play Dragon's Mirror. I Fusion summon a Dragon monster by banishing materials from my graveyard. So by removing Red Eyes Black Flare Dragon and Red Eyes Meteor Impact Dragon I summon Meteor Black Comet Dragon (3500)."

I had both of my most powerful monsters on the field. They both breathed boiling smoke from their mouths foreshadowing they want to destroy my opponent with melting hot breath.

" When this card is Fusion Summoned I can send one Red Eyes monster to the graveyard to deal you damage equal to its original attack. I choose my second copy of Red Eyes B. Dragon."

The spiritual image of Red Eyes B. Dragon presented itself to my monster before it fired an arrow shaped fire Lance through Nixie. She lost twelve hundred life points. It was time for her to lose her Ultimate Tyranno.

" Archfiend Att-"

" I activate Survival of the Fittiest. A dinosaur monster I control gains 1000 ATK points."

Ultimate Tyranno roared as it became too powerful for any of my monsters to attack it. This complicated my plan.

" I set two cards facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Dash**

 **[0]**

 **Monster Zone (2): Archfiend Black Skull Dragon, Meteor Black Comet Dragon**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (3): Set Cards**

 **Life Points: 3500**

Nixie drew and she became very happy with the card she drew.

" I activate Megamorph. If the player who equips this card to a monster has less life points that monsters original attack points become double. If the player has more life points they lose half of their attack points. Ultimate Tyranno is who I equip it too and since I have less life points it's attack becomes 8000."

" What? But Ultimate Tyranno's original attack points are 3000." I said.

" True. But the attack it gains from Survival of the Fittest treats his attack now as his original attack points. I set one monster facedown and will attack all your monsters, even though I only need to destroy one, ending this-"

" I activate Destruct Potion. This destroys my Meteor Black Comet Dragon while giving my life Points an increase on its attack so I gain 3500 life points."

" Too bad you didn't lower your life points or you could have kept both monsters. Ultimate Tyranno still attacks and since neither player can activate cards or effects when Archfiend Black Skull Dragon battles you cannot defend yourself."

She was right. My monster took a big beating of tail smacks, a flurry of claw slashes, finishing my dragon by biting on its neck like some dogs do to kill a rabbit. My monster was gone and I took 4800 points of damage thankfully only lowering my life points to 2200.

" I end my turn." Nixie said.

Name: Nixie

[1]

Monster Zone (2): Ultimate Tyranno, Set monster

Spell/Trap Zone (2): Survival of the Fittiest, Megamorph

Life Points: 2800

I drew and got a spell card I didn't know was put in my deck. It couldn't really help me now.

" I activate Red Eyes Spirit bringing back Red Eyes B. Dragon (2400)."

The stupid thing I did was remove Red Eyes Black Flare Dragon. If I brought it back I could normal summon it into an effect monster. Her monster has 2000 ATK now because she has more life points and Megamorph hurts the person winning the duel as well the opponent if their monster is equipped to it. I could then inflict 2400 points of damage after she lost 400 ending this game. I figured we make good moves sometimes, brick with our hands being useless, and blunder on what to do.

" Red Eyes Scorch her monster away."

Red Eyes spat a fireball at Ultimate Tyranno destroying it and inflicting 400 damage to her as well his attack destroyed her two equip spells. I went to my Main Phase 2.

" I activate Dian Keto the Cure Master. I gain 1000 Life points. I end my turn."

Name: Dash

[0]

Monster Zone (1): Red Eyes B. Dragon

Spell/Trap Zone (2): Set cards.

Life Points: 3200

Nixie drew for her turn. " I flip summon Evoltile Westlo ( 700/1900)."

A green lizard with bright green eyes appeared on her field. It was hiding in facedown position before formally introducing itself.

" When this card is flipped I can special summon an Evoltile monster from my deck. I special summon Evolsaur Darwino (2200/700)."

A bigger dinosaur appeared on her field. It was a green pterodactyl with all kinds of bones all over its body. Although it was a terrifying if not also a Bizarre looking monster its attack was two hundred points short.

" When this card is special Summoned through the effect of a Evoltile monster I can increase a monsters level from one to two and I pick two on Evoltile Westlo."

The dinosaur flew over the small lizard touching it with the nails on its wings. Like in Synchro summoning the monster outline was revealed with three glowing green orbs inside it. Two more glowing green orbs were laid inside the monster.

" I Xyz my level five Evolsaur Darwino with my level five Evoltile Westlo for my rank five Number 61 Volcanosaurus (2500)."

An Xyz monster was summoned different from a Synchro monster. The monsters became white spheres as a ray of white light went through them. A red dinosaur with yellow hair and green eyes appeared. Those two white lights were circling the monster.

" I set a monster facedown. I then activate Book of Taiyou switching my facedown to face-up attack position, and the monster I flipped face-up is Evotile Westlo." I shook my head. Another one of those lizards. " This isn't the only familiar face your going to see because I special Summon Evolsaur Darwino and use its effect to increase Evotile Westlo's level to five. I Xyz Summon Number 19 (2000)/2500) Freezedon in attack mode using my level 5 Evolsaur Darwino and level 5 Evotile Westlo."

It felt like deja vu until I saw what looked like a blue butterfly frozen in the artic but really a bipedal dragon with four artic frozen wings, ice rocks protruding from its body acting as guards, and ice horns made to be held on the other ends.

" I use Volcanosaurus effect detaching an Xyz material to destroy a face-up monster you control and deal damage equal to its original attack. But with Freezedon's effect I can detach a material from him instead."

Freezedon material moved to Volcanosaurus giving it a chance to chomp on it and absorb the power inside of it. It's mouth created wreath fire that was fired at Red Eyes B. Dragon and exploded destroying my monster and lowering my life points to eight hundred.

" This is the end of this game. Although my Volcanosaurus cannot attack directly the turn I use this effect I can still attack with Free-"

" I activate Tri-and-Guess. If we both have an extra deck we pick a type of monster and whoever has the most gains three thousand life points. I pick Xyz."

Nixie didn't know why I would pick Xyz over Fusion since I was a Fusion duelist. Whatever the case she showed me her only remaining Xyz monster Grenosaurus. I showed her my two Xyz monsters Number 11: Big Eye and Gaia Dragon the Thunder Charger. I was the one who gained three thousand life points.

" I set one card facedown and attack you directly with Freezedon."

Freezedon flew towards me and gave me a big hug that felt like being stuck in a freeze box or a coffin with bags of ice inside it that freezing attack lowered my life points to eighteen hundred.

" I end my turn."

Name: Nixie

[0]

Monster Zone (2): Volcanosaurus, Freezedon

Spell/Trap Zone (1): Set

Life Points: 2400

I drew what I hoped would be a good card and to my surprise it was a good card.

" I normal summon Black Stone of Legend (0/0)."

A red stone with what was considered a black heart inside appeared on my field. I used his Effect to tribute it to special summon a Red Eyes Black Flare Dragon to my side of the field.

" I activate Birthright allowing me to special summon one normal monster from my graveyard and I choose Red Eyes B. Dragon."

I had two strong dragon monsters on my field but neither one of them could stand up to Volcanosaurus. Well if you can't beat them...make them join your side.

" I Xyz Summon Number 11: Big Eye using my two level seven Red Eyes monsters."

Everyone was silent as my two dragons disappeared in a pillar of light and a cone shaped monster with a ring around it like Saturn and one big eye came to my field.

" I detach an overlay unit from this monster to target one monster you control and take control of it as my own for the rest of the duel. I pick Volcanosaurus."

I now had my hands on one of her strongest monsters. Freezedon was about to feel some pain.

" I detach one material from your monster to destroy your Freezedon and inflict damage to you equal to your monsters Attack Points."

Volcanosaurus breathed a flamethrower hot enough to melt through Freezedon and lowered Nixie's life points to 400. Neither of my monsters could hurt her though since Big Eye cannot attack the turn I use it's Effect and Volcanosaurus cannot attack someone directly the turn it uses it's Effect. I did have one monster who could attack though.

" If I control a rank 5 or rank 6 monster I can overlay over that monster for Gaia Knight, the Thunder Charger ( 2600)."

It was like Gaia The Fierce Knight only his armor looked more intimidating and he was riding a dragon dressed in red armor cloaking what it really looked like. He still have two lances in his arms though.

" I attack you directly with Gaia for gam-"

" I activate Survival Instinct. With this card I banish dinosaur cards in my graveyard-any number of them-and gain four hundred life points for each one I removed from play. Two Gilasaurus, Ultimate Tyranno, Freezeadon, Evolsaur Darwino...oh, you detached Evotile Westlo to use Volcasaur's effect. Good one. Even though Evotile Westlo's a reptile I would have six monsters to remove keeping me alive."

She gained two thousand life points from removing five dinosaur monsters from play. Since my Gaia has 2600 attack points I attacked her for game. She was blown back but managed to stand up again, even smiled at me.

" You win. If only I had my Tyranno Infinity with Megamorph. Do you know the attack it gains is treated as original attack so it can go up to 10000 with five removed from play dinosaurs."

"Well, Dash, you are one good duelist," Nixie said dusting herself off. "From what Tanya tells me your one hell of a dragon rider too."

"I was the best in Goldcircle City," I boasted. "Until..."

Nixie made a sympathetic click with her tongue and gave a wan grin. "Yeah, I heard about what happened to your pal, Nyx. Sorry about that."

"That's why you're here," I said, feeling anger rush through my veins like hot lead. In the midst of all the fun I've been having with my new friend I had forgotten about the mystery of the person who shot Nyx and injured my arm. "Tanya tells me you're a good tracker."

"I am, but I fear to say that my expertise is in tracking animals and fossils. I don't know how I'll fare with a dragon poacher, that's a new field I'm strutting into with the Galizona Rangers."

"Oh, but you must have learned something," pleaded Tanya. "We've got to find that sicko!"

"Well, I aint gonna make any promises," Nixie said, adjusting her hat. "But I promise I'll do everything in my power to help you solve this mystery."

"Why don't you rest first?" Tanya suggested. "I imagine a duel and a trip from Galizona must have taken its toll on you."

"I'll admit I'll need to freshen up a little."

"Yeah, Nixie, you really need a bath." Tanya laughed. "Afterwards why don't the three of us head into town and celebrate before Dash and Bright Tooth train for the games."

"That aint gonna be easy training for those games," said Nixie. "Apparently someone put a bounty on Dash and Nyx. On my ride here there was a group of guys who were boasting about how they were ready to take you out before the tournament."

"Tell me something I don't know," I said, rubbing my head, trying to keep eye contact with her. "I saw numerous posters online and at school."

"But it sounds like those punks were in a hurry or something. Seems some rich boy named Marcus has gathered seven of the best duelists from across the world and sent them to Goldcircle to find you. They must be good if every dueling bounty hunter from here to the Red Mountains is nervous of their presence."

"Argh, that Marcus!" I growled balling my fists.

"Well, we're not going to let them duel you, alone!" boasted Tanya. "Nixie and I are pretty good duelists ourselves. If they want to get to you, they'll ave to get through us."

"Looks like the damsels are saving the knight in this story," teased Nixie, to which Tanya let out a laugh.

My cheeks flush red. I knew she was right. If there really was a group of hot shots coming my way, there was no way I could handle them alone. I smiled, feeling rather proud that my two beautiful companions were willing to help me fend off Marcus and his squad of mercenary duelists. I have yet to see Tanya's skills with her Blue-Eyes White Dragons, and Nixie with her powerful dinosaur cards was a force to be reckoned with. With her skills and good looks, I imagine any guy who fought her was going to have a hard time. I sure did. And only time will tell to see if she is any good with her tracking. I held high hopes for her, and prayed to the Gods that she would find clues to the perpetrator soon, hopefully before the tournament. And I hoped Marcus was apart of that heinous plan. What sweet revenge it would be seeing him lose Tartarus to his older sister, get disavowed from the family and get kicked out of the tournament by the Dragon Duel Committee, and finally out of my life.

"Well, let's go to my house, you guys," said Tanya. "It's that tower over yonder." She pointed at one of the tallest towers in the city, it's windows were giving it almost a teal hue and the top of the tower looked like a Gothic-style cathedral.

"What!" I cried out. "You mean Icarus Tower is your home!"

"And how in the Five Hells did he not know that?" Nixie asked, putting her hands on the back of her head. "I thought he was your friend."

"He's never been to my house before," Tanya answered. "Hey, Nixie, after your bath let's take Dash downtown and see if we can find those guys you talked about on the train and challenge them to a duel."

"And let's make an example of them!" I said triumphantly, while balling my fist.

"No," said Tanya. "Nixie and I will take them out. We're going to show Marcus that you're not alone. We'll take care of them ourselves. Plus, this will make you the envy of all the guys in the city. Do you know how many guys, besides Marcus, would give their left leg just to hang out with em and Nixie?"

"That sure looks like a long walk to your tower though, babe," Nixie grimaced. "Man, it'll be sundown before we can head anywhere."

"Not in Goldcircle City," I said happily. "I blew on the silver whistle around my neck. Bright Tooth zooms out of the sky and lands outside the dueling grounds.

"Fly on dragon back?" Nixie gasped. "I've always dreamed of flying on the back of a dragon."

"Come on!" Tanya said, gabbing Nixie by the arm with excitement. "Goodness me! Is it just me or has Bright Tooth gotten bigger?"

I looked up at my dragon proudly. I expected Nixie would comment about his disfigured wings, but he has never let me down. Though they were of different size, they were longer than our school bus.

"He's just the right size to take us all!" exclaimed Tanya. "And he's just the right size for my uncle to forge him some Duel Armor."

"WOW!" I cried. "Really?"

"Yeah, and he'll make it tough enough to withstand a bullet. After what happened to Nyx, Uncle Ryan isn't taking any chances."

"Gods above," gasped Nixie. "I've always wanted to fly on a dragon. Maybe someday I'll get one of my own and Dragon Duel with you two."

Tanya climbs onto Bright Tooth's back followed by Nixie who snuggled close behind her. They both beckon me to climb on. "Hurry, cowboy!" called Nixie. "For a guy named Dash, you sure are slow."

"Let's take Nixie out for a flight around the city before we head home, Bright Tooth, can you do that?"

Bright Tooth nodded, and he too started to urge me to climb on. I smiled and got on board. Nixie holds onto her guts as my beast gallops down the street and takes off into the air.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

* * *

 **The Monarch Brothers**

 **Dragon Knights**

* * *

Nixie, screamed as she squeezed my gut, almost crushing the air out of me as we took off into the sky. "What was I thinking!? What was I thinking!?" she screamed. "Tanya how far is it!?"

"It's not that far!" I shouted over the wind and the powerful flaps of Bright Tooth's wings, as well as the cheering of Tanya sitting in front of me. I clutched tightly to her waist, keeping my eyes open for anything suspicious, in case there was another sniper around who knew of my acquirement of a new mount. I was worried for myself, but more so for my two new friends, and Bright Tooth. If something happened to them, not only would Bright Tooth be too wounded to fly in the upcoming tournament, but Nixie and Tanya could get hurt as well. What would her family do to mine if they found out she got injured while hanging out with me. And Nixie's father, from what I gathered from Tanya, was ex-Special Forces and ace dragon tamer, brave warriors who had the skill and fortitude to tame wild dragons into becoming mounts. If he could make dragons submit to his whim, I dared not think about what he could do to me.

Bright Tooth landed on the gardens of the top floor of Icarus Tower. Nixie let go of my gut and slid down my dragon's back to the emerald grass. She got on her knees and started kissing the ground. "Oh, Terra Firma!" she wailed in delight. I got a nice view of her rear end. Tanya noticed this and slapped me behind my head with a scoff before she jumped down. I looked down at her and shrugged with confusion. She slammed her fists on her hips and glared at me with a look that reminded me of Nyx's mate, Luna. Tanya's face was turning bright red like Bright Tooth's flesh. Her eyes seemed to glow and I felt like any moment she would breath fire and burn me into a crisp. She shook her head disapprovingly and went back to her sick friend. Nixie politely waved Tanya away, and told her she was going to be all right. She laughed as she got back onto her feet and swerved around the gardens as though she were drunk. Tanya was laughing at her, pointing while I rubbed the back of my head, still aching from Tanya's powerful strike. Bright Tooth looked at me and shook his head as though even he was disappointed that I couldn't help a stare at Nixie's posterior. It served me right, I suppose and I guess I deserved a slap on the head for being so immature. Tanya was a lady of one of the most powerful Houses in Goldcircle Kingdom City, so naturally she was raised right. And Nixie and Tanya were like sisters, being born together on the same day and even sharing the same middle name, Alice.

I noticed they both carried rings of platinum in the shape of a flower as we entered the halls of Tanya's tower. Man, I couldn't believe the architecture. It was a mix and medieval masonry with modern style. The floor we walked on was black and white tiled and made of marble with pillars going all the way up to the ceiling which was fifty feet high with chandeliers of crystal hanging from them. Nixie gave a whistle as she examined her new home away from home while she stayed to help us solve the case of Nyx's shooter. Just thinking about that made my skin get prickly. She was more than welcome in the house as the tactical knights in black armor with amber-colored holographic ornamentation stood at attention in the hallway. They held spears with glowing neon heads and their rifles were attached to their backs with a magnet. I could see their eyes staring at me from inside their helmets. Data graphs, windows of information, and camera feeds could be seen in holographic displays in their visors. No I know I had to be careful. It seemed they were used to Nixie, because she would wave hello to the knights cheerfully and they would wave back and greet her by name. But when I did it they would say nothing and return to standing at attention. We traveled by elevator to the seventieth level of the tower which belonged to Tanya.

Nixie dashed into the atrium with a waterfall pouring into a pool from an oculus above. From the glass walls I could see Tanya's dragon Godiva was flying in circles over the bay searching for a whale calf to eat. Bright Tooth seemed to be joining her.

"I got you something," Tanya said running to a study hall after telling the both of us to stay put. When she got back she handed Nixie a card that caused her to squeal in delight.

"Ultimate Conductor Tyranno!" Nixie jumped up and down with joy. "And it's gold-rare too!"

"He hasn't been released yet," bragged Tanya. "I told you coming out here was going to be worth your while."

"Look how he shimmers!" Nixie said flicking her wrist so that the card caught the light and shimmered in the colors of the rainbow.

"I guess you can consider him your late birthday gift," Tanya said embracing her friend.

"You're the best friend a girl could ask for Tanya." Nixie said, being careful with her card.

"And did you have anything to do with the Big-Eye, that Dashy here used against me?"

"Yeah, I should have told you. But he needed some kind of edge against you."

"And I'm glad Tanya gave him to me," I said. "You were a tough opponent, Nixie. One of the best. Happy birthday by the way. How old?"

"I'm seventeen."

"WHAT!" I cried. My voice echoed in the vastness of the atrium. That meant both she and Tanya were a year older than me.

"Yeah, as embarrassed as I am to say this, I never went back to school."

"Too concerned with digging her bones than she was with school." Tanya said giving a disapproving sneer while looking at me. "My mom and her mom gave her such a paddling, because they worked their heads off trying to get you to St. Augustus and study with me. Then she drops out of school."

"I can't help it," Nixie says with a sigh. "Dinosaurs are my life. And I'm good at finding them. I get paid well enough that I don't need their hokey diploma. I've got my bungalow out in the deserts and I get paid two hundred Gems for sharing my find with the museum,"

"Well that's good," I said with a nod.

"Okay, Nixie," said Tanya. "Why don't you get yourself cleaned up so we can head to town and give your new Tyranno a spin. The water's great."

"Wait, you mean you're going to bathe in that pool?" I croak.

"Yes, we are."

"We!"

"Now, be a gentleman and wait in the galleria. I've got a ton of arcade booths and games you can play while Nixie and I get ready. And I'm warning you Dash. You some much as peek at us in the pool and Godiva will eat you alive!"

My legs start to bloat trying to stop me from moving where I was so I didn't become dragon food. I waited in the galleria like the gentleman I knew I could be.

I played a few games which Tanya tinkered to be free. An hour later she and Nixie arrived all clean and ready for a night in the town hunting down the bounty hunters Nixie encountered on her train ride here. "Tonight, the hunters will become the hunted!" Nixie announced, replacing her straw hat with a black cap with a gold t-rex skull emblazoned on the front. We head back up to the gardens of her castle and I whistle for Bright Tooth to return. He flies to us within seconds. Poor Nixie was hesitant to get on at first. After much persuasion from Tanya she climbs aboard. This time I ride behind Nixie. Tanya gives a click with her tongue and flies off into the city towards the gaming district. I haven't been there since my defeat at the promotion tournament against Marcus. It felt like I was home. The crowd points up at the sky and cameras flash as Bright Tooth lands in a small park with enough space for him to stretch his wings. The crowd recognize me instantly and crowd around us. I heard Nixie whisper to Tanya behind me, saying that this was perfect bait to attract the bounty hunters. Nixie had the eyes of a hawk and scanned the crowd for her opponents.

We push our way through the crowd with their tape recorders and video cameras trying to get an interview with me asking if I was going to participate in the tournament. Some were more focused on Tanya and Nixie. Nixie waved at the crowd basking in their admiration and flaunting what she got at them while Tanya shielded her face from embarrassment. "She always was such a showman," she grumbled at me as we escaped the flood of bodies that surrounded us. I heard the mighty flap of Bright Tooth's wings as he took off into the sky and vanished into the night. Nixie was left behind posing for a few photos, flexing the toned muscles in her arms. Made sense to me as digging for bones must have been good exercise. Tanya impatiently calls Nixie to hurry up. Her friend cringes in embarrassment and follows us into the district mostly inhabited by kids as young as twelve and as old as seventeen like them. Tanya and I heard a loud grumble. We thought it was Ultimate Tyranno but it was Nixie's stomach. "Sorry about that," she says clutching her tummy. "I'm starving."

"Why didn't you say anything at my house?" Tanya asked.

"I didn't want to be a burden." Nixie said blushing bright red.

We decided to eat at a burger restaurant. Tanya and I watch in disbelief as Nixie devours nearly half of the twenty hamburger sliders we order. She had the hunger of a dinosaur. I begin to ponder how in the Five Hells does she stay so fit and curvy with an appetite like that. Tanya is disgusted by her lack of table manners and pushes her chicken salad away. "You gonna eat that?" Nixie asks with a mouth full of fries.

"So, any luck finding those guys on the train?" I ask.

Nixie lets out a satisfied burp. "Yeah, here they come now."

I turn my head and see two street punks approaching our table. And they meant business.

"That's him," says one of the punks dressed in a red parka and wearing a beanie with the symbol of wind monsters. His name was Gerard His friend was in a green cargo vest and he wore a beanie as well with the earth symbol on it. He was called Landoll.

"Are you Dash?"

"Yes." I answered sheepishly.

"There's been an offering of Gems for your defeat. So, how's about we have a match?"

"No, I don't think so," said Tanya. "You want to get to our friend you're going to have to play against us!"

The two punks jeered seeing Tanya and Nixie come to my defense. "Aww, is Dash too scared to fight his battles alone?"

"Dash had no choice in this. We ordered him to stand down and leave you two to us!"

"That's all right, our Monarchs are going to wipe you girls out."

"Well we can't play in here, obviously," said Nixie. "The room is not big enough to render our holograms."

So, Tanya and Nixie head for the harbor. The Five moons shined brightly in the night in the sky, the biggest one, Elanta, bathed the ocean in silver causing it to glitter.

I watch from another pier ten yards away and watch as the two punks got into position ready to face my friends. Tanya and Nixie activated their Duel Disks and their Life Points displayed overhead.

"Time to duel ladies!" calls out Landoll. "I'll start first."

"Ladies first anyway," Nixie joked.

"Watch your mouth, bitch! I draw!"

" I play Edea the Heavenly Squire in Attack Mode (800)."

A monster with no face but brimming with light inside appeared on Landoll's field. It looked very noble for a squire.

" Edea's special ability activates when it's normal Summoned or special Summoned: I can special summon a monster with eight hundred attack and one thousand defense from my deck. I special summon Mithra the Thunder Vassal (800)."

A monster with electricity surging from its elbows and feet with red eyes appeared on Landoll's field.

" I set two cards facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Landoll**

 **[2]**

 **Monster Zone (2): Edea the Heavenly Squire, Mithra the Thunder Vassal**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (2): Set cards**

 **Life Points: 4000**

Tanya drew one card from her deck. " I summon Maiden with Eyes of Blue in Attack Mode (0/0)."

A pale looking woman wearing a tunic appeared on Tanya's field. Her hair was long and silver and her eyes were enchanted blue.

" I activate Escalation of the Monarchs." Landoll called. " During my opponents main phase or battle phase I can tribute summon. I tribute my Edea and Mithra for Zaborg the Mega Monarch."

Two hands came out of the room that grabbed a now kneeling Edea and Mithra. It looked like the hands would crush them but it actually lifted them high in the air before they disintegrated into pixels.

Tanya and Nixie were introduced to what a Monarch was. It was a tall burly monster classed in white armor with green hair.

" When Zaborg the Mega Monarch is tribute Summoned I can destroy a monster you control and if it was a light monster I can make you send cards from your extra deck to the Graveyard equal to its level/rank."

" You activated my Maiden with Eyes of Blue's ability: When it is targeted for attack or card effect I can switch its battle position to defense mode and special summon a Blue Eyes from my deck."

" No you won't. I activate my counter trap Overwhelm. If I control a level 7 or higher monster I can negate a trap card or monster effect and destroy it."

Maiden With Eyes of Blue screamed in agony before being exploded by the fire. Although since it was that card that destroy her monster and not Zaborg cards in her extra deck did not go."

" I set one card facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Tanya**

 **[4]**

 **Monster Zone (0)**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (1): Set**

 **Life Points: 4000**

That was devastating to watch. I cringed upon seeing the pretty monster being engulfed in flames. Landoll and Gerard were savage with their cards. The two punks laughed at Nixie and Tanya. They bragged that there were more guys in their group on the way to Goldcircle Kingdom City and they too had powerful Monarchs in their decks. The Elemental Order is what they called themselves. Hopefully me and my girls would put them in their place.

Landoll's partner drew a card for his turn.

" I summon Eidos the Underworld Squire (800)." A monster Dark and full of malevolence appeared on the Duelists field. " When Eidos is normal or special Summoned I can tribute summon in addition to my summon. I tribute Eidos for Caius the Shadow Monarch (2400)."

Eidos was enveloped inside a sphere of tar looking hologram until a monster smaller than Zaborg but more menacing looking with its pink and black armor appeared.

" I activate Fiendish chain." Tanya said. " I can target one monster my opponent controls and negate its effect but also stop it from attacking and changing battle positions."

Green chains coiled around Caius's arms keeping them from moving even remotely slightly.

" I activate Pantheism of the Monarchs. By sending one Monarch spell or trap card from my hand to the graveyard I can draw two cards." Londoll's partner sent a trap card from his hand to the graveyard to draw two cards. I activate Tenacity of the Monarchs. By revealing a monster with 2400 or 2800 attack and 1000 defense I can add a Monarch spell or trap card from my deck to my hand. I choose March of the Monarchs. As well by banishing Pantheism of the Monarchs from my graveyard I can pick three Monarch spell or trap cards from my deck and show them to you. You pick one, whichever one on your side does the picking, and it goes to my hand."

Three enlarged versions of trading cards appeared on the field in front of Londoll's partner. Nixie and Tanya who would pick together couldn't believe their eyes.

" It's the same Spell card." Nixie said.

" Yup. It's Monarchs Stormforth. What do you say about that?"

Tanya and Nixie looked at Gerald's cards not deciding which one to pick but which side of the card they would pick together. Finally, they pointed to the card in the middle. Gerald picked that card up and placed it in his hand.

" I activate Monarchs Stormforth. Every time a monster is tributed I can add a monster with 2400 ATK or 2800 ATK from my deck to my hand in exchange for me being unable to summon from the extra deck. I also activate March of the Monarchs making Monarchs immune to any card effects. I end my turn."

 **Name: Gerald**

 **[4]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Caius the Shadow Monarch**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (2): Monarchs Stormforth, March of the Monarchs.**

 **Life Points: 4000**

Nixie drew one card from her deck to her hand. Before she could even do anything her opponent made his move.

" By banishing Tenacity of the Monarchs in my graveyard from play I can special summon the Prime Monarch as a token monster from my graveyard with 2400 defence."

A giant veil with the silhouette of a monster behind it appeared on Gerald's field.

" He can use my cards Effect to tribute summon one of his monsters during your main phase." Landoll said with audible satisfaction.

" I tribute the Prime Monster to Summon Vanity's Fiend in Attack Mode (2400)."

At first Nixie thought she was staring at a vampire when the veil was lifted and a man with well combed orange hair and a black robe took the field. He was an admirer of his own reflection as mirrors surrounded him everywhere.

" As long as my Vanity's Fiend is faceup on the field neither player can special summon monsters. And to us that is the sweeter than the best beans and peanut butter toast." Gerald said.

" What's that card doing in your deck?" Tanya asked. " We were told you two play with Monarchs."

" Maybe but those who have a monster that stops special summons is guaranteed to stop their opponents in their tracks. We also know that it has 2400 attack and 1000 defence so some of our Monarch cards work for it." Londoll said.

Nixie drew one card from her deck to her hand. Before she could even do anything her opponent made his move.

" By banishing Tenacity of the Monarchs in my graveyard from play I can special summon the Prime Monarch as a token monster from my graveyard with 2400 defence."

A giant veil with the silhouette of a monster behind it appeared on Gerald's field.

" He can use my cards Effect to tribute summon one of his monsters during your main phase." Landoll said with audible satisfaction.

" I tribute the Prime Monster to Summon Vanity's Fiend in Attack Mode (2400)."

At first Nixie thought she was staring at a vampire when the veil was lifted and a man with well combed orange hair and a black robe took the field. He was an admirer of his own reflection as mirrors surrounded him everywhere.

" As long as my Vanity's Fiend is faceup on the field neither player can special summon monsters. And to us that is the sweeter than the best beans and peanut butter toast." Gerald said.

" What's that card doing in your deck?" Tanya asked. " We were told you two play with Monarchs."

" Maybe but those who have a monster that stops special summons is guaranteed to stop their opponents in their tracks. We also know that it has 2400 attack and 1000 defence so some of our Monarch cards work for it." Londoll said.

" You probably didn't know that Tyranno Infinity gains 1000 ATK points for every dinosaur monster in my banish pile."

Tyranno Infinity: ? (0) + 1000 = 1000

" I play another Allure of Darkness banishing Stegocyber from my hand to draw two cards from the top of my deck." Nixie drew two cards from the top of her deck after banishing her dinosaur. " Since my Stegocyber is a dinosaur banished from play my Tyranno Infinity gains one thousand extra attack points."

Tyranno Infinity: 1000+ 1000 = 2000

" It's good to see you take pride in being a dinosaur duelist who knows card uses but your special dinosaur is no match for us." Londoll said.

" Not yet. I set two cards facedown and activate my third Allure of Darkness."

" Another one?!" Everyone exclaimed.

Nixie drew two cards bringing her hand up to five. She was smiling before showing her hand to the Monarch punks. She had Super Conductor Tyranno and four Evol dinosaur monsters.

" Since I only have monsters whose attributes are light and fire I have to send my whole hand to the graveyard. I can't draw cards without banishing a dark monster."

She placed all five of her dinosaurs into her graveyard. Since they were not banished Tyranno Infinity did not gain any additonal attack points. But sending five dinosaurs to the graveyard was part of Nixie's plan.

" I activate the normal spell Soul Release. Most cards set cannot be flipped face-up or activated on the same turn except normal spells. With Soul Release I can banish five cards from either players graveyard. The graveyard I pick is solely mine and the cards I'm banishing are the five dinosaurs Allure of Darkness put in there. And since the total of dinosaurs in my banished zone is seven my Tyranno Infinity's attack becomes 7000."

Tyranno Infinity: 2000 + 5000 = 7000

" Attack Vanity's Fiend Tyranno Infinity. Mauling Tyranno Rift."

It was curtains for Gerald as Tyranno Infinity created a kind of forcefield around Vanity's Fiend. An infinite version of its hands kept being absorbed into its body until he bloated and was destroyed. Gerald lost all his life points but since he and Londoll were dueling with separate life points the duel wasn't over. His continuous spell cards and Caius stayed, but all Londoll could use were the continuous spells as he duelled two them against him one.

" I end my turn."

 **Name: Nixie**

 **[0]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Tyranno Infinity**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (1): Set**

 **Life Points: 4000**

Londoll drew a card. He needed the card. With Escalation of Monarchs still on the field he would destroy the foolish girl with only one face-up trap and then leave the remaining duelist with only one facedown and a card in her hand to fight him with.

" I can tribute level eight Monarchs simply by trivuting a monster that's already been tribute Summoned. I tribute Zaborg from my field to summon Enther the Heavenly Monarch (2800)."

Enther was more than just another Monarch-Tanya and Nixie didn't know-but a card Duelists risk everything to have. She controlled the throne of heaven which was the pinnacle of all Monarchs power.

" When Enther is Tribute Summoned I can send two Monarch Spell or Trap cards from my deck to the graveyard to special summon any Monarch from my deck. Light joins with darkness for now, come forth Erebus the Underworld Monarch (2800)."

Standing side by side were two revered gods to the Monarchs. One ruled the light and the other ruled the dark. The dark one had goat horns, red eyes, and armor made completely black.

" Gerald's cards make my Monarchs immune to card effects so cards like Shadow Spell, Mirror Force, or even Magic Cylinder won't work on them. And thanks to Stormforth I can add a monster with 2400 ATK and 1000 DEF from my deck to my hand...I will give my Vanity's Fiend a try. First my Enther and Erebus will attack the sweet girl who believes her Blue Eyes were the best dire-"

" I chain to that with Threatening Roar." Nixie said. " It skips your battle phase. Tanya doesn't take any attack."

" Oh well. I activate Domain of the Monarchs Field Spell."

Tanya, Nixie, Londoll, and Gerald even though he was no longer playing were in a sort of auditorium if there were things like those in purgatory.

" Any time a Monarch battles it gains 800 ATK but only if it battles a monster." Londoll said getting everyone out of their stupor. " I hope your Blue Eyes deck doesn't involve too much of the extra deck because no monster can be special Summoned from the extra deck so long as I control a Monarch. I set two cards facedown and banish the Tenacity of the Monarchs I sent to special summon Prime Monarch as a token. Now Erebus returns to my hand because special summoning a Monarch with Enther only works one turn."

 **Name: Londoll**

 **[ 2 ( Erebus and Vanity's Fiend)]**

 **Monster Zone (2): Enther the Heavenly Monarch, The Prime Monarch-Caius is only on Gerald's field**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (4): Domain of the Monarchs, Escalation of the Monarchs, two set cards-he uses Gerald's continuous spell cards to help his Monarchs.**

 **Life Points: 4000**

Tanya drew but already Londoll activated his cards.

" I activate Monarchs Stormforth my quick play spell. I can tribute monsters on my opponents field for a Tribute summon. I activate Escalation of the Monarchs to tribute summon even during my opponents main phase. I tribute Prime Monarch and the Tyranno Infinity You CowGirl control to summon Erebus the Underworld Monarch (2800)."

Nixie was left with nothing on her field and she tried her best to make Tyranno Infinity a seven thousand attack point monster. The monster of the underworld was back but it brought a surprise.

" By sending two Monarch Spell or Trap cards from my deck to the graveyard I can shuffle one card from the field, graveyard, or even hand back into the deck. I choose the card on your far left, you who still has a hand."

Tanya had no choice but to shuffle Sage With Eyes of Blue in her hand back into her deck. She was gruntled only having four cards in her hand.

" The cards I sent are Tenacity of the Monarchs and Domain of the Monarchs. I can only special summon a Prime Monarch once per turn but since I summoned him last turn I banish the Domain of the Monarchs in my graveyard to special summon it."

A veil appeared foreshadowing the monster Londoll would tribute summon. He had more options thanks to the continuous spell. But it was Tanya's turn and he already used Escalation to summon Erebus.

" I activate Dark Advance allowing me to add a monster with 2400 or 2800 ATK from my graveyard to my hand and then tribute summon immediately after the effect resolves. I add Zaborg the Mega Monarch from my graveyard to my hand and tribute Prime Monarch for Vanity's Fiend."

The veil was moved and the same monster appeared the same way the last one appeared like clockwork. Tanya sat by and listened to him tell her she couldn't special summon even though he should have realized he couldn't special summon the Prime Monarch now.

" It's officially my turn. I play Twin Twister. This allows me to discard one card to target two spell and trap cards on the field and destroy them. I will only destroy though your March of the Monarchs."

Londoll's card shattered but he was laughing more than crying because it looked like Tanya was giving up.

She was just getting started.

Tanya drew a card she liked added to her hand.

" I discarded the White Stone of Ancients. When the card is sent to the graveyard whether from the field or my hand I can add a Blue Eyes White Dragon from my deck to my hand."

Tanya pulled a Blue Eyes out of her deck and showed it to Londoll.

" I play the card that will wipe out your monster zone Dark Hole."

All three of Londoll's monsters shattered on the spot because the continuous spell that protected them was gone. Tanya had two cards left in her hand.

" I reveal Blue Eyes White Dragon in my hand to special summon Blue Eyes Alternative Dragon (3000)."

What Tanya Summoned was a dragon with glowing parts of blue speckles in its body and more ferocious teeth than Blue Eyes. She was also lucky a monster as powerful as it could be special Summoned just from having a Blue Eyes in her hand.

" Blue Eyes Alternative Dragon attack him directly!"

Tanya really wanted to yell Burst Stream or whatnot but all she got was a spectacular beam of light she didn't know what to call. Gerald watched in horror as his punk friend was propelled off the ground just from the holograms attack leaving him with 1000 life points.

" I end my turn."

 **Name: Tanya**

 **[1]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Blue Eyes Alternative Dragon**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (1): Fiendish Chain.**

 **Life Points: 4000**

Since Gerald was out of the duel it was Nixie's turn. She drew one card.

" I activate Prime Monarch in my graveyard." Londoll declared before Nixie could do anything. " I banish the other Monarch card I sent with Erebus to special summon the Prime Monarch. I then use Escalation of the Monarch you foolishly didn't destroy to tribute The Prime Monarch for Thelatos the Fire Monarch (2400)."

A Monarch with the same height as Caius but it's eyes covered by a helmet appeared.

" With Gredal's continuous spell I add Caius the Mega Monarch from my deck to my hand. Also, when Thestalos is tribute Summoned I can send a card from my opponents hand to the graveyard. If it's a monster they take damage equal to its level. I pick the card You just drew."

The card Nixie sent was Stegocyber. She took six hundred points of damage. Now thinks were going to drag out. All because Tanya choose not to destroy Escalation of the Monarchs they were facing a long duel.

" I end my turn." Nixie said.

 **Name: Nixie**

 **[0]**

 **Monster Zone (0)**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (0)**

 **Life Points: 3400**

Londoll drew for his turn.

" I tribute Thelatos for Zaborg the Mega Monarch. When tribute Summoned I can target one monster on the field and destroy it so bye-bye Blue Eyes Alternative Dragon."

With the power of Enther who was like the Zeus of their kingdom he rained lightning on Alternative Dragon destroying it.

" Since a light monster was destroyed do what you should have done the last time you felt the wrath of Zaborg and send eight cards from your extra deck to the graveyard."

Tanya sent cards she really didn't want to send but had no choice or the graveyard.

" You both have no cards to protect yourselves but I want payback you b*** for defeating Gerald."

" Yeah!" Gerald roared. " Show that bitch!"

" Zaborg attack."

" I activate Stegocyber's effect." Nixie said with a sort of robotic answer. " I pay 1000 life points to take no battle damage from that battle and special summon Stegocyber where it will be banished when it leaves the field."

A dinosaur autamatron appeared on the field kicking its back and moving its feet back like a cat.

" I end my turn."

 **Name: Londoll**

 **[ 2 ( Caius and an unknown card)**

 **Monster Zone (1): Zaborg the Mega Monarch with Caius on Gerald's field.**

 **Spell/ Trap Zone (2): Domains of the Monarchs, Escalation of the Monarchs with one continuous spell card on Gerald's field**

 **Life Points: 1000**

Tanya drew one card. What she had to worry about was Escalation of the Monarchs.

" I activate Trade In. I send Blue Eyes to the graveyard to draw two cards." She drew two card. " I activate mystical space typhoon destroying your Escalation of the Monarchs.

She finally destroyed his Escalation when he wanted to tribute Zaborg for Caius but she controlled nothing to banish and he felt weary for this duel keep going different ways.

" I also activate Smashing Ground destroying your Zaborg since I can't compare its defense to any of your other monsters."

Zaborg roared before it was shattered into pixels.

" I have no cards left so I end my turn."

 **Name: Tanya**

 **[0]**

 **Monster Zone (0)**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (0)**

 **Life Points: 4000**

Nixie drew for her turn. She smiled. Well she pondered if it really was a good idea to do this snd not just switch Stegocyber into attack mode to attack him directly. She made up her mind eventually.

" I activate Card of Sanctity. I banish all cards on my field and in my hand to draw two cards. I only have to banish Stegocyber to draw two and it gets banished leaving the field anyways so there."

People were wondered if having an easy victory made Nixie so dumbfounded she wanted to lose on purpose. She knew she wouldn't lose though. She would win with the card Tanya gave her.

" I activate Dimensional Burial returning three banished monsters to my graveyard. I pick Element Sauris, Super Conductor Tyranno, and Stegocyber. I then activate Soul Charge. I pay two thousand life points because I can special summon any monster from my graveyard if I'm willing to pay 1000 life points each. Arise Super Conductor Tyranno and Element Saurus."

A 3300 dinosaur with a green face and different metal parts and a brown saurus who could breath fire appeared on Nixie's field. She couldn't conduct her battle phase.

" Due to Soul Charges ability I cannot declare any attacks, but you still lose. By tributing one monster Super Conductor Tyranno deals 1000 damage to my opponent. So you lose."

Element Saurus was transformed into a cloud of chemicals Conductor Tyranno sucked in. Londoll trembled in fear realizing he had nothing in his hand that could stop this move even if he did have Escalation because they were all Möbius. The dinosaur just launched its attack and Londoll fell down with Gerald running to his side.

Tanya and Nixie high-five each other for their victory.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

* * *

 **Elf of Eloth  
**

 **Dragon Knights**

 **Dash**

* * *

"Phew that was one intense match," I said.

I scramble towards Tanya and Nixe congratulating them for their hard fought victory while the two punks walk away licking their wounds while cursing at Nixie and Tanya warning them that the rest of their group will come for them. We celebrate and go out for some ice cream. Since we just ate, Nixie was not too keen on flying back home on the back of a dragon so Tanya calls for her personal driver to take her and Nixie back to Icarus Tower. I needed to get back to the farm. It was getting late and I needed to get back to the farm. It felt good being back up in the sky again and I began to ponder how and why Nixie wanted to be a dragon rider when she was so afraid just riding on Bright Tooth. I close my eyes and feel the wind caressing my face as Bright Tooth zooms over the city and over the mountains of the country side. I look behind me and see the city glimmering from the distance looking like nothing but a few glowing gems. But that was no all that I saw. My eyes picked up two silhouettes in the light of the five moons overhead. And they were big. I kick my legs on both sides of Bright Tooth's neck to tell him to go faster but his misshapen wings would only allow him to go so far. I turned to look at the shadowy figures behind me and could make out wings. The things chasing us were dragons and riding on top of them were knights in green enameled armor. Their helmets were crested with red plumes and they wore long black capes flowing like shadows in the moonlight. Their dragons were short little things with emerald green scales and large spikes as long as swords. They had saggy throats also lined with spikes and their riders were atop leather saddles. But appealing to the eye as they were, the dragon riders pulled something out of their compartments. Assault rifles, enchanted with a fire spell causing them to glow bright orange and red. A sword was attached underneath the barrels. The riders aimed their guns and started shooting at us! I couldn't believe what was happening. I didn't know who those guys were or where they came from but they wanted me dead. Somebody wanted me dead. As I processed the fact I started to grow sick to my stomach and my lips trembled in fear. I even felt like crying. Bright Tooth hissed at the aggressors and dove into the clouds. I held on for dear life on the reins of my saddle, hoping to the Gods that it would stay on tight to Bright Tooth's neck, for I felt I was in for the ride of my life. The enemy riders were getting closer and I could hear their guns popping from behind the veil of clouds. I could see flashing from within and my heart started skipping a few beats when the fiery bullets whizzed past my ear. They were so close I could feel the warm air brushing against my cheek. I scream for help but it was hopeless. Who was going to hear me from nine hundred feet in the air. The dragon riders behind me reload their weapons and continued shooting at me and my dragon. "Bright Tooth let's move!" I shouted. Bright Tooth dives down into the mountains. My stomach feels like it was going to rush into my feet. I clutch on the reins as hard as I can and feel my legs rise into the air. They dangle up and down and then Bright Tooth opens his wings to slow his decent into the valley below. The biting wind nips at my exposed flesh as Bright Tooth swerves through the valleys over the river illuminated by the moonlight. The dragon riders are close to our tail but then I heard a loud hiss. I see a trail of smoke followed by a fiery explosion in the forest below. I struggle to look because I was too scared to see what I would find. I eventually turn my head and see another dragon rider. He was on same type of dragon as the other dragon riders, a Dark Mountain Thornback except he was blood red with black stripes. The rider was wearing black armor and his helmet was crested with a holographic image of a long plume of blue fire. He had a sniper rifle that dealt ice damage and a long sword for a bayonet was mounted underneath his weapon. And his saddle was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was made of metal with a cockpit that had state-of-the-art liquid-crystal display. I could see its blue light glowing on the black armored rider. That's not all the saddle was equipped with. It had rocket launchers equipped with heat seeking missiles. The rider presses a button on his joystick and then the launchers fire a salvo of missiles our way.

"OH GODS!" I scream. Bright Tooth sees them too and dashes away into the mountains. He turns on his back. I hold on tight, looking down at the ground hundreds of feet below me. There weren't enough trees to break my fall, and I prayed I didn't fall into the river. There were lion-gators down there and rainbow serpents that could squeeze the life out of me and devour me whole. In that case I would have preferred to be shot down or break every bone in my body by falling down on the meadows below. Bright Tooth shoots out a jet of blue fire and the heat seekers dive into it, exploding into a brilliant ball of bright blue flames. The blast almost knocks Bright Tooth off his flight pattern. I cough as the fumes enter my lungs. I swear I could hear the dragon riders laughing at me as they continue their assault on me and Bright Tooth. He picks up speed and flies over the Laughing Hills. Home was so far away now. Bright Tooth must have flown me many miles away from the ranch. The dragon riders had plenty of ammo on them and they were not willing to give up. I heard a roar coming from the clouds above. Another dragon rider. I gaze at the third moon and see the largest dragon I had ever seen. It was bigger than Tartarus and Nyx. He had bronze scales and was as long as a football field, his wings more than three meters long. He had a long white beard protruding from his chin and two horns, eight-feet-long and made of ivory, came out the back of his head. The rider behind him was wearing golden armor with a white cape. A sword as big as a man was sheathed behind his back. He had a large machine gun in his hands and he rode inside a saddle also equipped with a cockpit. I sob, knowing this was the end. Man, there was so many things I wanted to do with my life. I knew Tanya was out of my league with her being nobility, so I thought about Nixie. Her cute smile, her curved golden hair, her infatuating blue eyes and that dynamite body. I was never going to see her again or my mom and dad and my sister Kate. This was the end. Bright Tooth grunts with exhaustion. He can't go any further. He's pooped. I pet his neck and thank him for everything. The golden knight fired his weapon, but he instead shot one of the enemy dragon riders. I looked at him and he signals me to come his way. I couldn't believe it. He was saving me. Bright Tooth turns hard right and follows the man. The saddle he was on was equipped with two photon cannons. The charge with a metallic hum and fire shooting the two remaining dragon riders out of the sky. The dragons fall dead towards the earth and their riders scream in horror as they tumbled to their deaths in the meadow below. I turn my head when I saw them hit the ground with a sickening splat. My hero shouts at me and orders me to follow him East. I don't know who he was but if he saved me I knew he couldn't be that bad. His dragon was nothing short of impressive. He must have been a full-grown Ancient, a dragon that has reached the final years of its life. The size made me estimate that the beast was over ten thousand years old.

The dragon rider leads me towards the river, Neldedar. Bright Tooth crashed into the ground with exhaustion. It takes a moment for him to get back up and he slowly walks for the river to take a long drink. The golden armored dragon rider then lights a fire and removes his helmet. He had long black hair and had bright green eyes and...pointed ears. I couldn't believe my eyes. My rescuer was an Elf.

"Have a seat," he says pointing to a large round boulder in front of the camp fire. I didn't argue with him, for his tone was strict and very commanding. I leave Bright Tooth to his drink. He sits down an a stump and sets down his machine gun. His dragon was sitting behind him towering over the both of us.

"Thanks for saving me," I said.

The elf said nothing and added more leaves to feed the fire. His brow was creased with angered lines and his eyes were like burning emeralds in the fire. The animals of the night were singing together in the evening chorus. Frogs croaked in the river beside us and I heard red horns howling in the distance.

"Who were those men?" I asked.

"They were Knights of the Imperial Templar," the elf answered. "They were sent by the emperor's wife to kill you."

"Kill me? Why?"

"I think it's high time you knew who you are Dash. But first, if you'll allow me to introduce myself. I am Manimarco Undelion of the Woodland Realm."

"The Elves! I can't believe you exist."

"We do not find home here in the kingdom beyond the blue mountains. And your people are not too keen in telling us to their children for we have defeated them in the War of the Iron Crown millennia ago. It would explain why you know so little of us."

"Why did you come to save me? What do you mean who I really am?"

"You are a prince, Dash."

His words hit me like a bullet. I slide off the rock and onto my knees. "I'm a what?"

"What do you mean I'm a prince?"

"You hail from the Kingdom of Alria. Your true name is Prince Dash Arundel Maxwell. And your father is King Johnathan Tiberius Maxwell the Lord of the Sky Throne."

"But how?" I asked. My whole body turned to jelly. What was happening to me?

"Many years ago, King John's sons, your brothers, were murdered one by one while he was in the War of the Two Suns by a group of assassins from the Shadow Dragon Guild. My people fought alongside your father the entire year we were there. One night, before we achieved our victory against the King of North Garden, your father took me into a tent. A baby boy lay sleeping in a basket. Who the mistress was who he bore the child with, I do not know. He told me to take you far away from him and to keep him safe. Should anything happen to his sons I had to seek the child out. So, I took you to the dragon tamers in the ranch you live in."

That hit me so hard. My parents weren't actually my parents.

But then a terrible thought hit my head like a freight train. If those Imperial Knights knew where to find me then they knew where I lived.

"MOM! DAD!" I shouted. I grabbed my flight gear and climbed aboard Bright Tooth's saddle.

"Wait!" cried the Elf. "Where are you going?"

"I have to find my mom and dad and my sister!"

"Prince Dash, come back!" the Elf commanded. But I took off into the night sky ignoring his pleads. I could still hear him shouting from below as Bright Tooth put everything he had into his deformed wings. I felt sick to my stomach. Those Imperial Knights were not friendly. They were horrid people with an agenda of death. Bright Tooth flew over the countryside I called home. I recognized the farms and streets below. But then I saw a bright orange glow in the distance. NO! That was my parent's ranch. My...MY HOUSE! Bright Tooth grunts in horror. I look away. Nyx...and Luna. They were on the ground dead. Spears were jabbed into every part of their bodies. The cave they lived in was spewing flames like a volcano. Bright Tooth roars and glides down to mourn his parents. I run for my house and beheld the oak tree Kate and I used to climb when we were little kids. It was burning like a giant torch sending out a column of thick smoke into the darkness of the night. Branches snap and fall down to the ground and burn the stump Kate and I used to sit on when we played Duel Monsters. The branch that held the tire swing was still standing strong in the flames. But the tire was not all that was hanging from them. I fall to my knees, for I lost all feeling in them. I can't breathe. I can't sob. I can't do anything. I can't feel anything as I gaze upon my parents and my sister hanging from the tree. Bright Tooth stomps towards me and whimpers sadly. I could hear the ground thunder from the meadow. The elf had followed me.

"I am sorry," he said. "I truly am."

"My family..." I sob. "Why didn't you save them?"

"Because the imperial knights were after you. If they had gotten to you before me, our whole world will suffer. We need you."

I nod yes. I could not find words to come out of my mouth. What choice did I have?

"We cannot linger here," the Elf said urgently. "Get on your dragon and come with me."

"Where?"

"We're going to Loth-Eldria. The last stronghold of the Elves. We will show you how to be a real dragon rider. And a King."

"Let me bury them first...please."

"There is no time, Prince Dash. My dragon, Althrax, has detected more knights in the sky looking for you."

"And what about my friends, Tanya and Nixie. I can't go without them."

"They are no longer your concern boy. Now come with me or you will doom us all!"

I get back on top of Bright Tooth and I follow the Elf and his massive dragon into the clouds to avoid being seen. Down I turn me head to see my home for one last time. Mom. Dad. Kate. Nyx. Luna. Whoever did this was going to pay dearly. As we fly over the mountains I can see Goldcircle Kingdom City twinkling like a jewel in the distance.

"I'm sorry for what you lost!" the Elf shouted, referring to my friends.

"Goodbye Nixie. Goodbye Tanya."

A big tear rolls down my eye as the Elf takes me farther away from home than I've ever been.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

* * *

 **Tanya Facing Fire All On Her Own  
**

 **Dragon Knights**

 **Dash**

* * *

The Elf leads me over the sea. We fly over it for miles. My gut wretched, thinking about all I had left behind. Now I knew there was no way of going back home. This was terrible. But if what the Elf told me was true, then it meant I had to accept what lay ahead of me. A life I never thought was meant for me. A life of royalty. Just as the sun was setting over the ocean, I saw it. An island paradise far away from the troubles of my home of Goldcircle Kingdom City. There was a city mixing with the forest of palm trees and conifers in the island. They were made of solid gold and white marble and limestone that could make the snow on the peaks of the Spineridge Mountains over my ranch look gray in comparison. The buildings were oddly shaped and had red banners damasked in gold hanging from the center poles. And, I saw dragon riders atop of brilliant white dragons with scales that glimmered like a rainbow adorned in silver armor and mail of gold. They signal for me and the Elf to land. I couldn't believe this was real. Elves, an almost forgotten race of people were crowding around below at the top of the tallest building which I guessed was the castle. And there in all him majesty stood the Elf King wearing colossal gold armor with white banners hanging from his shoulders and he donned a white cloth-of-gold cape. Even from high up I could see his pale-green eyes peering at me from where he stood. I gulped. I knew I was in for the story of my life.

" Dash. Welcome to my kingdom." The elf king said.

The Elven people were the most beautiful things I had ever seen. Their hair was like silk and their faces, heavenly. Their eyes were as clear as diamonds and when they spoke their voices rang like silver bells. Elven warriors in gold armor trimmed with white and holding gold banners approached me and bowed. My cheeks turn red. In the midst of all the excitement I forgot I was royalty. I thank the king for his welcome and he leads me towards his castle which looked like it was carved out of the very mountain with a few added towers of white limestone with red and gold banners hanging from their tops. Once we reach the twelfth level of the palace the elf who rescued me, his name was Adain, sent me away to a bath house where I had my flight gear and clothes removed. I nervously sat in a warm bath as a group of pretty Elven girls wash me. They giggle flirtatiously as they scrub my arms and ey were dressed in thin white silks that turned invisible when wet so they might as well been naked. The Elf King sees me shivering and laughs warmly telling me that this was just some of the luxuries ahead. From the bathing pool I could see dragon tamers and doctors taking a look at my Bright Tooth. They were cleaning his scales and using thick metal tools to carve away the old ones until he shined like a Gem. After my bath the Elven girls trim my long hair and then dress me in fine garbs. Bright Tooth was then armored in platinum and he was given a high-tech saddle for me to ride in.

It was time for dinner. Adain, my hero, escorts me to the dining hall where the king was going to fill me in on my destiny. First he allowed me to have a drink I never tried before that tasted like a very sweet nectar.

"Mmm," I said, "This is good," I looked around and then started scarfing down all the food on the table. I've never eaten Elven food before, and they impressed me. Man, they are really good cooks. I ate six shrimps, five turkey legs dipped in a honey sauce and crusted with herbs, golden waffle chips, and I gulped down more of that sweet drink. I let out a loud and satisfied burp and look around at my hosts, looking at me as though I were some creature that needed to be destroyed.

"Sorry," I apologize. They all burst out laughing. That really made me smile. The Elves were a very friendly folk and it began to dawn on me why they refused to go to war and stay out of the dirty politics of my home Goldcircle Kingdom. Bright Tooth flies into the room shining in his new armor. "So what is this all about?" I asked the king, who looks at me with a wide grin.

"I am King Gondolin of the Woodland Realm," he said proudly. "And you, child, are the salvation we've been looking for."

The story he tells me makes my blood boil. He begins by telling me about how my aunt killed both my mother and father in a cleverly devised plot to kill them, putting my cousin, Rufio into power just hours before those Imperial Knights went chasing after me. When I was a baby my older brothers were also slaughtered by assassins under orders of my queen-regent aunt to shorten my father's line into the throne and put her child into power. It appears Marcus was some tool to get info on me. They knew of my fierce rivalry with him and used him to get to me. Poor bastard still thought this hunt was about Duel Monsters while Rufio and his mother made their move on my mom and dad, the king and queen. And while I was watching Tanya and Nixie duel they sent their forces to the ranch looking for me and killed my family and my dragon Nyx.

They were all going to pay for this. I don't care about the throne, I just want to kick Rufio's ass in a duel and kick him and his mother out of the throne and let the law decide what to do with them.

 **Tanya**

"Rise and shine sleepy head!" Nixie shouts into her friend's face.

Tanya stirs and forces open her heavy eyes. She looks around her room. The golden glow of the sun lit up her chambers and made the waterfall glisten. "What time is it?" she asked. Nixie was sitting on top of her staring into her bloodshot eyes. Her hair, usually combed, was messy and tied into two long braids.

"Six thirty in the morning. It's the last day of school for you, sweetums."

"We don't seem that excited," said Tanya.

"Hey, when you don't go to school anymore, summer breaks mean shit."

"Any word on Dash?" Tanya asked.

"No, not a one," Nixie said getting off her friend and running to the dresser drawer to find something to wear for school.

"How can you be so cheerful, Nixie? You read the papers. You saw how gruesome the deaths of the Blue Mountain Ranch were."

"I feel awful about Dash's folks, Tanya," Nixie said, tossing Tanya her jeans. "But if you weren't such a worry-wart you would have read that Dash was nowhere to be found and neither was his dragon, Bright Tooth. And I'll have you know, the bounty hunters looking for Dash are still on the hunt. They're not too convinced he's good and dead."

"That's stupid!" snapped Tanya. "And very selfish!"

"Well, all they want is money, sweetie. And so long as Dash has not been placed in the obituaries they're gonna keep looking. This has actually been helping the police forces. The bounty hunters have been asking around town looking for clues on their bounty, and get this, I overheard at the arcade that a local farm family near Crop Hollow saw Dash flying to the east with a big dragon by his side."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tanya asked.

"I just did didn't I?" Nixie said putting her hands on her hips. "Besides, you were so overcome with grief that you cried yourself to sleep. If I know Dash, he'll be back. And we're going to find out who or what did this to his family."

As the day went by, the final bell of the school year rang. Tanya and Nixie ran outside to join the other students in the celebration. School reports, essays and notebook paper were tossed into the air as the kids ran home ready for a summer of games and the big Dragon Duel Grand Prix that had been hyped all year.

"Do you reckon he'll show up for the big tournament?" Tanya asked.

"Who knows," said Nixie.

"Hey!" shouted a tough looking student with a blond mullet. "You there, girl in the booty shorts!"

"Looks like he's addressing me," said Nixie.

"What do you want?" Tanya asked.

"Hey, that's no way to speak to the Regional Champion!" said one of the blond kid's goons. He had a group of three cronies behind him. They were silver badges over their shoulders. They were from the school's Duel Monsters team.

"No way," said Tanya. "Lord Braden of House Arundel!"

"Lord who-e-of-House-What-Now?" Nixie asked.

"Branden Arundel, the youngest House Lord in the kingdom," said Tanya. "He decimates his opponents with nasty Pyro monsters that deal painful burn damage."

"Glad one of you studies their Duel Monsters history," boasted the young lord, he was their age with messy red hair and bright green eyes. He wore elegant clothing and wore rings on all of his fingers. "I've heard much about our pretty little Dino-Duelist here, and how much she knows about Dash. You know where he is cutie-pie? I've got to hunt him down and claim those Gems my friend Marcus is offering for his defeat."

"Don't have plenty of money?" Tanya asked. "You have your own House to rule in and just bought that palace by the sea."

"You can never have too much money!" sneered Branden. "And I don't know what makes Dash so special, but if Gems like that are being offered as a reward for beating him, I can't refuse."

"Sorry to burst your bubble hot shot," said Nixie. "But we don't know where the hell he is. And it sickens me that you don't consider everything he's lost. His family was killed, no, butchered by unknown assailants and all you care about is beating him in a stupid duel."

"His concerns aren't mine!" laughed Branden. "But, Dash isn't the only one on my radar. Oh-ho-no. I've had my eye on your plump little ass since you first came to town, Nixie."

"Ew, what a creep," Tanya muttered with a roll of her eyes.

"So that's why I'm here, Nixie. I came for you, of course I don't expect you to fall into my arms that easily."

"You asking for a game?" Nixie sneered. "Because if you are, I'm ready."

"Perfect, the new dueling arenas have been built in an awesome new facility downtown. We can have our match there. If you win, which I doubt, I'll let you in on a little info I picked up on Dash."

Tanya gasped in shock.

"And," Branden continued. "I'm putting this up on the line! Pyrorex the Elemental Lord. One fiery and powerful dinosaur I found just for you if you accept this duel."

"And what if I lose?" Nixie asked.

Branden licked his lips seductively. "If you lose, you forfeit that legendary Ultimate Conductor Tyranno I've heard so much about. And...you go on a date with me!"

Tanya gulped. She searched to the ends of the kingdom looking for Ultimate Conductor Tyranno just for Nixie. She hoped her friend would refuse the match, but Nixie had that look in her eye and her pink lips formed into that snarky smile of hers which made her admired throughout the school.

"You got it, big boy. Let' duel!"

" I'll go first. I summon Ultimate Baseball Kid in Attack Mode (500)."

Brendan summoned a monster Nixie wasn't sure if it was a kid in fiery red clothing, a midget who just happened to be playing baseball, or a video game character in a world full of short people. Either way she wasn't impressed with its attack points.

" I set three cards facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Brendan**

 **[1]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Ultimate Baseball Kid**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (3): Set Cards**

 **Life Points: 4000**

Nixie drew a card from her deck. " I activate Heart of the Underdog. Now whenever I draw a normal monster I can reveal it to you to draw again. I special summon Gilasaurus in Attack Mode."

Gilasaurus made its appearance by power sliding on the field and whipping its tail around to intimidate Brendan.

" I can special summon Gilasaurus but at the cost of my opponent being able to summon a monster from their graveyard. Luckily for me you have no monsters in your graveyard. I activate Big Evolution Pill. By tributing one dinosaur monster I can normal summon any dinosaur from my hand without tributing. I normal summon Ultimate Tyranno in Attack Mode (3000)."

Gilasaurus shattered from the field as Nixie's second most powerful card appeared on her field with steps that would shatter the ground. Brendan knew she would summon something big.

" Ultimate Tyranno attack his Ultimate Baseball Kid! Destroying feet of Dinosaur Volcano!"

Ultimate Tyranno stampede towards Ultimate Baseball Kid ready to break the monster under its feet. Brendan however had a card for the attack.

" I activate DNA Transplant. This card changes the attribute of all monsters on the field to the attribute of my choosing. I pick the Attribute Fire. In addition Ultimate Baseball Kid gains 1000 ATK for every fire monster on the field except itself."

 **500 + 1000= 1500**

Ultimate Tyranno still destroyed Ultimate Baseball Kid and delivered 1500 points of damage to the life points of Brendan. Brendan smirked upon his monsters destruction.

" I activate Call of the Haunted. I can special summon any monster from my graveyard in Attack Mode. I pick Ultimate Baseball Kid, the only monster in my graveyard."

Ultimate Baseball Kid came back swinging its back making its whole body roar with fire in the background. Thanks to DNA Transplant he came back with 1500 ATK instead of its normal 500 ATK points.

" I chain to the special summon of Ultimate Baseball Kid with Inferno Reckless summon. When I special summon a monster with 1500 or less ATK I can special summon two copies of the same monster from my deck. But my opponent can special summon three copies of the same monster they have."

" I only have one Ultimate Tyranno." Nixie said.

" Too bad. Say hello to two more Ultimate Baseball Kids." The monsters Ultimate Baseball Kid appeared lined up with the same fiery eyes as the rest of them. " Since I control two more pyro monsters the attack of all my other Ultimate Baseball Kid's is increased by two thousand. That's all three of them having the same ATK with two thousand point bonus."

 **1000 X 2= 2000**

 **1500 +2000= 3500**

" I set one card facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Nixie**

 **[1]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Ultimate Tyranno**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (2): Heart of the Underdog, 1 Set card**

 **Life Points: 4000**

Brendan drew one card from the top of his deck.

" It's time to end this and get that card of yours as well get to our date. Ultimate Baseball Kid on the far left attack Nixie's Ultimate Tyranno."

Ultimate Baseball Kid materialized a baseball in his hand, held it in his arm and hurled it at Ultimate Tyranno. It was like a meteor heading towards Ultimate Tyranno before going straight through the dinosaurs chest. Ultimate Tyranno was decimated into pixels by the fire of Ultimate Baseball Kid. However, all of Brendan's Ultimate Baseball Kid's ATK dropped to 2500 after losing a monster.

" Center and Right attack her direct-"

" I activate Threatening Roar. This card ends the battle phase."

Brendan was dumbfounded by this sudden card activation.

" Why didn't you use that card before my first Ultimate Baseball Kid attacked you?" Brendan asked.

" To keep my field small so when I finally do summon a monster it will be strong enough to destroy your monsters." Nixie said.

" I activate Dark World Dealing allowing all of us to draw one card but then discard a card. I discard Molten Zombie to draw one card." Brendan said.

Nixie drew Stegocyber and discarded the card into his discard pile.

" I set one card facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Brendan**

 **[0]**

 **Monster Zone (3): All Ultimate Baseball Kid**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (3): DNA Transplant, Call of the Haunted, Set card**

 **Life Points: 2500**

Nixie drew a card and showed it to Brendan. It was a normal monster.

" Since I drew the normal monster Frostsaurus I can draw an addition card." Nixie drew another card. She revealed what she drew. " Since I drew the monster KabaZaurs I can draw an addition card." Nixie drew a card before showing it to Brendan. " It's Crawling Dragon #2 which means I get to draw a card. Nixie drew two more cards until she drew a spell card.

" I activate Mystical Space Typhoon. I can target one spell/trap card on the field and destroy it. I choose to destroy your trap card DNA Transplant."

It made no difference at first destroying that trap because Nixie controlled no monsters but that would change once she used a good card.

" I play the spell card Moray of Greed. I can shuffle two water monsters from my hand back into the deck to draw three cards. I shuffle Frostsaurus and KabaZaurs." Nixie placed the two cards on top of her deck, KabaZaurs on the bottom and Frostsaurus on top, the deck shuffled by itself and she drew three cards. " Since Big Evolution Pills effect works for three turns I normal summon my ace monster Super Tyranno Conductor (3300)."

Lighting came down from the sky and out of the sky descended upon the ground was a Tyranno made out of a metallic case. It was bigger than her last monster as well strong enough to destroy Brandan's three monsters.

" Super Conductor Tyranno attack any Ultimate Baseball Kid and take away eight hundred of his life points."

Super Conductor Tyranno pulled itself forward and crushed one of the Ultimate Baseball Kid. Brendan was left with only two identical monsters.

" I set two cards facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Nixie**

 **[4]**

 **Monster Zone (1): Ultimate Tyranno**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (3): Heart of the Underdog, two set cards**

 **Life Points: 3500**

Brendan drew a card.

" I activate Call of the Haunted to special summon Molten Zombie in Attack Mode (1600)."

A monster that looked like a man boiling to death maybe already dead but brought back as undead came to Brendan's field.

" When this monster is special summoned I can draw a card from my deck."

Brendan drew a card from his deck. He would need something powerful to put a stop to Nixie's Super Conductor Tyranno.

" I overlay my two Ultimate Baseball Kids to special summon M-X Saber Invoker in Attack Mode (1600)." A brown armoured monster with a large clever and a red helmet appeared on Brendan's field. " By detaching one material I can special summon a level 4 or lower beast-warrior from my deck. I special summon Coach Soldier Wolfbark (1600)."

A bipedal wolf with silk blue fur, blue sunglasses, and yellow armor all over its body appeared on Brendan's field.

" I overlay my level 4 Molten Zombie and level 4 Coach Soldier Wolfbark to Xyz summon Castiel the Skyblaster (2000)."

A musketeer with a bird mask carrying a musket appeared on Brendan's field. His field was looking less like a pyro deck now.

" I can detach two materials from this card to shuffle one monster on your field to your deck using Castiel the Skyblaster's effect."

His monster fired a shot at the dinosaur putting it back in Nixie's deck. He was going to pay for taking her monster away.

" My Castiel and my M-X Saber Invoker attack you directly for game." Brendan smirked.

First came the clever that would cut almost half of her life points away.

" I activate Mirror Force." Nixie responded to his attack with a counter measure. " This card destroys all monsters you control in Attack position. Sorry but both your monsters are in Attack position get destroyed."

A dome of hexagon crystals surrounded Nixie's field richocheting both attacks towards Brendan's monsters destroying them both in the process.

" I set one card facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Brendan**

 **[1]**

 **Monster Zone (0)**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (1): Set card**

 **Life Points: 1700**

Nixie drew one card. It wasn't a normal monster so she couldn't draw an extra card and it was the last turn for the effect of Big Evolution Pill to take effect.

" I normal summon Super Conductor Tyranno in Attack Mode."

Her monster was summoned shadowed at first until it's eyes were glowing red it's teeth were bear.

" Super Conductor Tyranno attack Brendan-"

" I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device. I target one monster on your field and return it to your hand. I pick Super Conductor Tyranno."

Nixie felt a panic attack losing her monster. She knew there was no chance she would be able to summon it again.

" I set two cards facedown and activate Allure of Darkness. I draw two cards." She drew two cards and smiled at the results she had. " I will now send all cards in my hand to the graveyard because I don't have any dark monsters."

The first monster she sent was Tyranno Infinity the rest she was happy were in the graveyard.

" I end my turn."

 **Name: Nixie**

 **[0]**

 **Monster Zone (0)**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (2): Set Cards**

 **Life Points: 3500**

Brendan drew a card from his deck finding a good card to play.

" I summon Elemental Hero Blazeman in Attack Mode (1200)." A man painted red with red visors and stringy hands appeared on Brendan's field. " When this card is normal or special Summoned I can add one Polmerization card from my deck to my hand." Brendan added Polmerization from his deck to his hand. " I didn't summon any monster last turn to lure you into a sense of false security. I play Polmerization fusing the Elemental Hero the Heat and Elemental Hero Blazeman to Fusion summon Elemental Hero Nova Master (2600)."

What first looked like a wizard Nixie realized was just a monster that could make fire come out of its hands appeared on Brendan's field.

" Attack with Searing Magic Star Shot!" Brendan shouted.

Elemental Hero Nova Master used fire from its fingertips that scorched into Nixie. She shielded herself from the blast but her life Points dropped to 900.

" I end my turn. Next turn you and I will be going on our date." Brendan smiled.

" What makes you think I didn't lead you into a false sense of security?" Nixie smirked.

Brendan's face turned scarlet red from the anger of what she was saying.

" I end my turn."

 **Name: Brendan**

 **Monster Zone (1): Elemental Hero Nova Master**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (0)**

 **Life Points: 1700**

" I activate Common Charity. I draw two cards and than remove one Normal Monster from my hand. If I don't draw a normal monster my hand goes to the graveyard. So it's like Allure of Darkness but with a different sacrifice."

Nixie drew two cards and banished SaberSaurus in her hand. Since he already declared his end phase she drew one card for her Draw Phase.

" I activate Monster Reincarnation. I discard a card from my hand to add a monster from my graveyard to my hand. I choose Tyranno Infinity." What she discarded was Element Saurus. She turned her Tyranno Infinity around and around to gloat about the monster she would summon. " I summon Tyranno Infinity (?/?)."

A brown dinosaur with big legs and small claws with a line of multicolour energy through it roared as it made its appearance.

" Tyranno Infinity gains 1000 ATK for every dinosaur banished. I have one so it has 1000 ATK. Not enough to take care of your monster and win this duel, until I play Soul Release. I can banish five monsters from my graveyard and I choose Gilasaurus, Ultimate Tyranno, Crawling Dragon # 2, KabaZaurs, and tearfully my ace monster Super Conductor Tyranno. That raises Tyranno's ATK to 6000. Tyranno Infinity attack his Elemental Hero Nova Master."

Nixie remembered dueling with Tyranno Infinity with Tanya against the Monarch brothers. First it swallowed flashing energy in its mouth and then it fired a blast of that light towards Brendan decimating his fire monster and his life Points.

Nixie walked up to Brenden and picked him up by his shirt, pulling his face towards hers. "Okay hotshot, I won the duel, now you either tell me and Lady Tanya where Dash is our I've just found myself my next punching bag.

"Wait! Wait!" cried Brenden, still in shock over Super Conductor Tyranno. "I'll talk, okay, I'll talk. Look, we heard from some farmers over in the apple orchids that they saw Bright Tooth soaring over the coast following a giant gold dragon. They said it was huge, it must have been an ancient dragon."

"Where did they go?" Tanya asked furiously, raising her fist into the air.

"I-I don't know!" babbled Brenden. "When the boys and I went to ask the farmers all they said was that they headed over the Blissful Sea."

"Was Dash with them?" Tanya asked.

"WAS DASH WITH THEM!" Nixie shouted, repeating the question.

"We-We don't know. The dragons were pretty high up, b-but they were sure it was Bright Tooth, they could see his deformed wings. But if that was Bright Tooth, then it could mean that Dash was with them."

"He has a point, Nixie," said Tanya. "Put him down."

Nixie growled like a beast and let the kid go. "Now scram!" she shouted.

Brenden and his boys darted away.

"The Blissful Sea?" Tanya said stroking her chin. "You don't think?"

"Now you get those thoughts outta your head missy. There is no way in the Five Hells that Dash went with the Elves. They don't care about anyone but themselves, and Dash is just a poor farm boy, so what could he have that they want. The only thing of value he and his family have is Nyx and he's dead."

Tanya's lips began to tremble.

"I'm sorry," said Nixie. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"I can't believe Dash's family was just murdered," said Tanya. "And so brutally. Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know," said Nixie, resting her hands on her hips and swaying from side to side to stretch her muscles. "But whoever they were, they sure got a mean streak. But don't sweat it, if Bright Tooth is okay, I'm more than sure Dash is with him. He's a brave guy, he is."

"Thanks Nixie," said Tanya. "I sure hope he's okay wherever he is. But what if he is with the elves."

"I know what you're thinking girl, and the answer is no."

"But...Godiva is fast. She can fly us..."

"No," Nixie insisted. "First off, I hate flying. Secondly, the elves are serious isolationists. They'd shoot us down before we even reach their turf."

Tanya bit her lip. She needed to think of someway to get Nixie to come. She sure didn't want to make the journey alone. She just had to think of something.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

* * *

 **The Duel Against the Crown Duelist**

 **Dragon Knights**

 **Tanya**

* * *

"I'm sorry," said Nixie. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"I can't believe Dash's family was just murdered," said Tanya. "And so brutally. Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know," said Nixie, resting her hands on her hips and swaying from side to side to stretch her muscles. "But whoever they were, they sure got a mean streak. But don't sweat it, if Bright Tooth is okay, I'm more than sure Dash is with him. He's a brave guy, he is."

"Thanks Nixie," said Tanya. "I sure hope he's okay wherever he is. But what if he is with the elves."

"I know what you're thinking girl, and the answer is no."

"But...Godiva is fast. She can fly us..."

"No," Nixie insisted. "First off, I hate flying. Secondly, the elves are serious isolationists. They'd shoot us down before we even reach their turf."

Tanya bit her lip. She needed to think of someway to get Nixie to come. She sure didn't want to make the journey alone. She just had to think of something.

"I was hoping this would be a birthday present," Tanya said spitefully. "But it looks like I'm going to have to hand it to you sooner." Tanya took a whistle from her pocket and blew into it.

"What in tarnation is that?" Nixie asked. A loud flap answered her question. She looked to the skies and saw a great red dragon with jet black stripes flew in circles around the buildings. There were three rows of spikes going down its back and at the tip of its tail was a spear-shaped spike.

"T-Tanya...is that for me?"

"Only if you'll accompany me across the Blissful Sea. And it's a she by the way."

"Aw, man...I...I've always wanted to fly my own dragon...but...I'm so scared."

"You're going to let a few butterflies in your stomach keep you from achieving your dream?" Tanya asked.

Nixie shook her head. Tears formed in her eyes and her nose went red. "No!" she said suddenly. "Hell no. I will not. What's her name?"

"Scarlet. She's a Northmountain Red Spike. One of the few remaining in the world. What do you say?"

Nixie wiped the tears from her cheeks. "How can I resist?" she said.

Tanya called Godiva with her whistle. She flew from the clouds to join Scarlet. They both landed in a long alleyway. Nixie and Tanya climbed aboard their mounts. Nixie began to breath heavily. Tanya put a gloved hand on hers.

"I'll be right here, okay? Don't let the height bother you, okay. Just gaze upon the beauty all around you and it won't be so troubling."

Nixie nodded.

Tanya took off first. Scarlet gave a loud screech and then went to a spring. She stretched her wings and took off into the sky. She had her eyes closed as Scarlet took her higher into the air. She felt the wind whip against her face and her blonde hair was flapping behind her. She opened her eyes and saw gray-gold clouds zooming past her. The sun was setting over the horizon. Tanya was overhead. She cheered and waved at her. Nixie waved back and gave out a mad laugh. She held open her arms and pretended she was one of the legendary Dragon Knights of the Red Table from her bedtime stories her mother used to read her. She couldn't believe it. She was actually riding on the back of a dragon.

This is a dream come true, she thought. I did it mommy. I did it.

Tanya's dragon took a hard left. Nixie ordered hers to follow.

Down below, Marcus was observing them through his high-powered multi-vision binoculars. Esteban and Hector were standing with him. Esteban was fully armored in blackened steel adorned with aquamarines. Hector was wearing a bright blue hoodie and torn jeans. He put his baseball cap backwards and sneered. It was a sign that he was ready for battle.

"Follow them," Marcus ordered. "I have a feeling they will lead us to Dash."

"You got it," said Hector. "Take down those girls will be a cinch."

"Just hold them off as long as you can until my men can reach them. I want no harm to come to them," said Marcus. "Or Dash if you come by him. I don't know what's going on, but I have a feeling we're all in danger here. There has been so much death since Rufio came. Dash's family was unfortunate. He's my rival and I want him out of my life, but I don't want him dead. I am beginning to think that sniper I hired was under his control too."

"Didn't you want Nyx and Dash to be out, boss?" asked Esteban.

"I just wanted Nyx tranquilized so I could win the promo-tournament. But he used a bit of excessive force. If anyone found out I was behind that my whole family will be in ruins."

"I see," said Esteban. "It's beginning to get clearer now."

"What is?" Marcus asked.

"If you kept your mind on the politics of your family instead only Duel Monsters, you'd know Prince Rufio's House and your House are not on the best of terms."

"How do you know that?"

"I pay attention in history class. It would make sense Rufio would influence that sniper to use lethal force against Nyx. If discovered, the King would reduce your House to rubble, and your people have the greatest influence in the land when it comes to military might, resources, and elite duelists. If you ask me, Rufio might want you out of the picture as well. If not him, then his mother."

"Then why would he go through all this trouble to help me?"

"That's an interesting question," Esteban said, putting on his helmet. "I say, Rufio is doing all this to get you both together and make his move. You best keep an eye on him."

" I think they're planning something big," said Hector. "Maybe a hostile takeover or something."

"Just bring them back," said Marcus. "I think Dash and I need to settle our differences because it appears I've foolishly let a greater foe into our kingdom's door step.

 **Dash**

Another day with the elves of the Woodland Realm. I could not believe how much these people loved Duel Monsters. As I walked down the white cobbled roads of the city I saw little kids playing Duel Monsters by a fountain with golden Duel Disks. In the sky I watched as Bright Tooth and a flock of other dragons flew gracefully in the skies dotted with colorful kites of all shapes and sizes. This place could be paradise if it wasn't for the vile plot on the other side of the pond.

He was flying beside a serpentine beast armored in engraved gold with long silvery-blonde hair and scales that glimmered in all the colors of the rainbow when it hit the sun just right.

"That's my dragon," said an Elf, a good-looking elf by the name of Turion. His hair was cut into a Mohawk with a long braid dangling over his shoulder armor in the shape of a falcon. His armor was solid gold just like his dragon.

"Greeting, Dash."

"Yeah, hello," I said, shaking his hand. "Darn pleased to meet you."

"I have heard much about you, Dash. Do you find it hard to believe you are of royal blood?"

"Yeah," I said, scratching the back of my head. "Just a week ago I was just Dash. Now I'm Prince Dash."

"It should take some getting used to," said Turion. "So to get your mind off things, how about a duel?"

He held up his arm and morphed his gauntlet into a shield-shaped Duel Disk with a bright blue orb in the middle that started to glow."

"Wow, that Duel Disk is wicked!" I said, activating mine.

"Thank you," Turion said. "You're is pretty splendid too."

"Thanks, King Gondolin gave it to me."

Turion laughed. "I see my father wasted no time in pampering you with gifts eh?"

"Yeah," I said, then paused. "Wait, King Gondolin is your father? Then that means..."

"Yes, I am the Crown Prince of the Woodland Realm."

"Wow, I've never dueled against a prince before. This should make an awesome game."

"Indeed," said Turion. "I heard you use the legendary Red-Eyes Black Dragon. I have wanted to face against those creatures for such a long time, but I warn you. My Buster Blader is a very capable against dragons."

"Bring it on!" I declared.

" I'll start this duel off Crown Prince of the Woodland Realm. I summon Black Stone of Legend in Attack Mode (0/0)."

What I Summoned was a beast resting inside ready to jump out and roar at my opponent before getting the chance to chomp its teeth into him.

" I activate Black Stone of Legend's effect: By tributing Black Stone of Legend I can special summon a Red Eyes monster from my deck. Red Eyes is more than a level seven normal monster with 2400 ATK. I special summon Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon (2800/2000)."

Two sides of the egg burned out in a glorious glow of red. What came out wasn't red though, pure black sheen of black metal with flaming red eyes searing fire from its mouth. Its a true Red Eyes monster.

" I activate Red Eyes Insight. By sending a Red Eyes monster from my deck or hand to the graveyard I can add a " Red Eyes" spell or trap card from my deck to my hand. I send Red Eyes B. Dragon from my deck to the graveyard to add Red Eyes Transmigration from my deck to my hand."

It was an awesome combo I was doing adding a ritual spell from my deck to my hand. My body felt good at what it was going to let Turion see. I bet he wished he had a good opening hand like mine.

" I activate Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon's effect: Once per turn I can special summon a dragon monster from my hand or graveyard. I special summon Red Eyes B. Dragon from my graveyard."

I presented my Red Eyes B. Dragon when it flew like a hawk chasing a mouse to find a place by my side. In the end I had two dragons on my left and right which if you imagined a crevasse you would think of my dragons for it.

" I..." I was thinking of just ending my turn here but Turion was too calm with my summon. It was like he was watching a rookie trying to impersonate a real pro player but saw through me. I wasn't taking chances. " I set one card facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Dash**

 **[3]**

 **Monster Zone (2): Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, Red Eyes B. Dragon**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (1): Set card**

 **Life Points: 4000**

" I admire the ferocity you show trying to show your cards love and spirit as not simply tools for fun but cards vessels of what you want to ride, dragons." Turion caught me by surprise as he talked strangely about my turn. " You agglomerate quite well on your turn but it is I who brings group of monsters against my opponent."

" I'll start this duel off Crown Prince of the Woodland Realm. I summon Black Stone of Legend in Attack Mode (0/0)."

What I Summoned was a beast resting inside ready to jump out and roar at my opponent before getting the chance to chomp its teeth into him.

" I activate Black Stone of Legend's effect: By tributing Black Stone of Legend I can special summon a Red Eyes monster from my deck. Red Eyes is more than a level seven normal monster with 2400 ATK. I special summon Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon (2800/2000)."

Two sides of the egg burned out in a glorious glow of red. What came out wasn't red though, pure black sheen of black metal with flaming red eyes searing fire from its mouth. Its a true Red Eyes monster.

" I activate Red Eyes Insight. By sending a Red Eyes monster from my deck or hand to the graveyard I can add a " Red Eyes" spell or trap card from my deck to my hand. I send Red Eyes B. Dragon from my deck to the graveyard to add Red Eyes Transmigration from my deck to my hand."

" I activate Polmerization. I fuse Buster Blader in my hand with Rare Metal Dragon to Fusion Summon Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroying Swordsman (2800/2500)."

This was a spot in the duel I did not want to be in. He summoned a white and gold armored ultra strong Buster Blader against me. It made me shudder when it hit the ground with its sword and my dragons just kneeled down to it.

" As long as Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroying Swordsman is on my field all dragon monsters change to defense mode. In addition he gains 1000 ATK for every dragon on my opponents field and in their graveyard. With that Black Stone of Legend in your graveyard and two dragons on your field his attack rises to 5800. If you think you're safe because my monster switched them to defense your wrong, Dragon Destroying Swordsman deals piercing battle damage."

I had an idea on how I was going to stop him. It may be too soon but seeing a monster of over 5000 ATK made me feel like a rat burrowing inside a man's stomach to hide from fire.

" I activate De-Fusion. This card returns a Fusion monster to the extra deck and special summons the materials used for its summon from the graveyard. No piercing damage is happening to my monsters."

A strong cyclone blew on the field. It was Turion's monster that shattered from the field and replaced with a still big but weaker than the Fusion monster Buster Blader and spiky grey dragon without any wings next to it. It seemed unorthodox to put a dragon monster in a dragon slayer deck.

" Buster Blader is not a monster I have any biast things to say so I'll tell you instead of three thousand points increase it gains 1500 point increase since you control two monsters that are dragons and one on your graveyard also a dragon. Buster Blader, behead Prince Dash's Darkness Metal Dragon."

Buster Blader attacked with one strong slash that left a jagged scar on my monster but didn't destroy it; it did in fact explode after that scar appeared.

" No hard feelings I hope, Prince. Rare Metal Dragon, destroy his Red Eyes B. Dragon."

His dragon attacked with a slash through Red Eyes chest. It roared in agony before shattering because it was no longer a monster on the field. At least my dragons protected my life points. Their noble sacrifice wouldn't be for nothing.

" I activate Raregold Armor equip spell on my Buster Blader. This equip spell makes my Buster Blader the only monster you can target for an attack." Tourin said to me knowing his monster has over four thousand ATK points. I end my turn."

 **Name: Tourin**

 **[2]**

 **Monster Zone (2): Buster Blader, Rare Metal Dragon**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (1): Raregold Armor**

 **Life Points: 4000**

I drew one card from my deck. It was a lucky draw because I drew the monster I needed to destroy Buster Blader. It took what was inside my monsters that would destroy his 4100 monster soon to be 4600 ATK monster.

" I activate Red Eyes Transmigration. I use this card to ritual summon Lord of Red by tributing monsters from my hand until the level of monsters sent to the graveyard is eight or monster, only I can also banish Red Eyes monsters from my graveyard instead. I banish Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon from my graveyard to summon Lord of Red (2400/2100)."

This was a dragon monster but it was really a man merged in a dragons body with the only part of it still human was its face. He was on par with Rare Metal Dragon but what I needed was its effect not the attack. I could use Vanguard of the Dragons effect to activate Lord of the Red's to destroy Buster Blader but in a duel you need to think of the best strategies you can do and be weary of your opponent.

" I activate Black Stone of Legend's effect: By shuffling one Red Eyes B. Dragon from my graveyard back into my deck I can add Black Stone back into my hand. I chain: activate Lord of Red's effect. When a card or effect is activated I can target one monster you control and destroy it. I choose Buster Blader."

Taurion didn't expect I would be able to do that. Lord of the Red charged with a energy of red before spinning like a top and breaking Buster Blader apart with its feet. Since Lord of the Red doesn't negate and destroy cards I could add Black Stone of Legend back to my hand. I did and then came up with the idea to summon my stone again.

" I summon Black Stone of Legend again in Attack Mode (0/0). I use its effect to tribute itself to special summon Red Eyes Archfiend of Lightning (2500/1200)."

Lightning was charging through the field as a fiend monster rose out of the ground. It was stronger than Rare Metal Dragon that was for sure.

" Attack. Red Eyes Archfiend of Lightning, attack his Rare Metal Dragon."

Red Eyes of Archfiend destroyed Taurion's dragon with a lightning attack using the clouds. He lost one hundred life points from the difference of their ATK.

" Lord of the Red, attack Taurion directly."

This time Lord of the Red dashed forward and punched Taurion in the stomach. He exhaled a little after feeling that punch my monster gave him.

Main Phase Two I had no choice but to end my turn since I had only monsters in it.

" I end my turn."

 **[2]**

 **Monster Zone (2): Lord of the Red, Red Eyes Archfiend of Lightning**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (0)**

 **Life Points:4000**

Taurion drew one card.

" I set one card facedown and end my turn."

 **Name: Taurion**

 **[2]**

 **Monster Zone (0)**

 **Spell/Trap Zone (1): One Set card**

 **Life Points: 1500**

I drew one card. Poor prince, I knew what his plan was but he really wasn't thinking this through.

" I activate Call of the Haunted and with it I special summon-"

" You seemed far too smart to play that weak strategy." I sighed trying to say it as gently as I could. " When a card or effect is activated Lord of the Red can target one spell or trap card on the field and destroy it. And since it's a simple Call of the Haunted even if I wasn't targeting your trap card I could destroy a monster."

His field was now empty. He had nothing to protect him now.

" Red Eyes Archfiend of Lighting attack Tourion directly."

Archfiend of Lightning struck Tourion in a shower that didn't really hurt him but still depleted the rest of his life points. I won but it was a good game, even if my wife was because he tried playing too strong not thinking about simple counter cards of mine.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

* * *

 **All For Dash To Be Prince  
**

 **Dragon Knights**

 **Tanya**

* * *

"I can't take it anymore!" shouted Nixie at the early morning sun rising over the sea and filling the skies with pastels of orange, pink, and red.

"Oh Gods, now what are you moaning about!" Tanya asked, flying atop her dragon over the Blissful Sea.

"We've been flying for two days now and we haven't even seen a speck of land anywhere. I am so sick of this saddle and my legs, back, and butt ache!"

"How in the Five Hells did you think you were going to be a Dragon Knight with this attitude of yours!" snapped Tanya.

"I didn't think we'd be doing this all the damn time! Is there no other place for us to go? I want to sleep on a warm bed tonight. I want decent food on my plate not this trail mix garbage. I'm sick of this!"

"Well, we have to make a stop. My food rations ran low and I'm down to the last drops in my canteen."

"I'm out of everything!" shouted Nixie. "Gods what I'd do for an orange soda, a bacon triple cheeseburger, and some clean underwear right now!"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," said Tanya. She reached into one of the pouches on her dragon's saddle and took out a map. There was also an apple inside. "Here, catch!" Tanya shouted, tossing the apple at Nixie who was a yard away. She almost dropped it, but when she caught it she savagely bit into it, relieved to be eating something else rather than trail mix and granola bars.

"Ah, we're in luck!" said Tanya. "It says here on the map there is an island rest stop just an hour's ride from where we are. Isla del Tiburon. How many Gems do we got on us?"

"18000. Enough for five nights with three warm meals a day," said Nixie.

"Well, we won't be staying there for five nights. Our dragons need special care before they can make their long journey again. And I hope the have a decent tech down there. My Duel Disk is in need of tuning up."

"Yeah, mine too," said Nixie. "We've played so much on our journey that the images are getting static-like."

Nixie and Tanya played Duel Monsters in the air to pass the time on their long journey to the elves and hopefully towards Dash and Bright Tooth. Now their batteries were running low and the salty sea air was ruining their machines.

The island appeared at last on the horizon. They followed a long trail of small sailing boats and oversized trading vessels to help their dragons find the way. The windows glimmered on the buildings on the shark-shaped island. Their dragons landed in a dragon farm deep in the jungle.

"I want our dragons well fed and cleaned," Tanya said, paying the farmer with 100 Gems.

"Where do we go to eat?" Nixie asked.

"Later," said Tanya. "First we got to find a place to rest and collect ourselves before the journey to the elves."

Nixie's stomach growled. "I was afraid you'd say that. Darn it, Tanya, why you gotta be so stubborn all the damn time."

"For a girl who hangs out in the desert and hunts for fossils, you sure do whine a lot."

"You find us a place to rest," said Nixie. "I'm going to get some food and a hot bath!"

Before Tanya could protest, Nixie dashed into the town.

"What a baby!" Tanya spat. But she grew worried.

18000 Gems was not going to be enough for them to eat, sleep, rest, maintain their Duel Disks and feed and care for their dragons who were exhausted from the journey. Scarlet and Goldie were also from two of the most stubborn of the dragon species, so they would not take off until they were good and ready. Not to mention, they would have no money for the journey home after they had found Dash.

She walked through town and admired the tropical architecture of the buildings shaded by the large palm trees. She smelled sausages being cooked on a fire. She paid for one and a cold drink with a little umbrella to wash it down with. She then saw a man walk to a wooden sign board and hammer a notice onto it.

The sign he posted was announcing a Duel Monsters tournament with the prize of 200,000 Gems.

"Hmm," said Tanya. "If Nixie and I win that money, we'd be set for four long journeys."

"I wouldn't enter it," said a boy with a striped shirt and jeans, having orange juice by a wooden table under a palm tree with orange lanterns.

"Why not?" asked Tanya.

"Because, Leo is in the tournament."

"Never heard of him," said Tanya.

"You must be new," said the kid.

"What gave that away?" Tanya asked sarcastically.

"Your lack of knowledge of Leo the Shark Duelist for one. And your gear. You sort of stand out."

Tanya wore all leather. Her traveling breeches, bodice, gloves and boots were made of dark brown leather. She had harnesses with pouches big and small on the belt around her waist and tied around her thighs. Around her neck was a tan scarf and the goggles she needed to shield her eyes from the fierce winds when she flew atop of Goldie.

Her Duel Disk was even of different design in the eyes of the kid.

"I'm not afraid," said Tanya.

"Whatever you say," said the kid. "Just so you know, the whole island is going to be on Leo's side. He's a prodigy. The youngest champ in the history of forever."

"Good," said Tanya. "It wouldn't be an exciting tournament without some decent competition."

Nixie let out a loud burp and patted her swollen belly while she and Tanya sat in a bubbling Jacuzzi on the balcony of their beach side cabin. One one side the was the soothing sound of the waves crashing against the surf and on the other were the insects and animals of the night making their noise in the jungle.

"So a tournament, eh?" she said nibbling on the last peanut butter barbecue wing. "With 200,000 Gems as the prize. Sounds like a plan to me."

"I'm glad you say that," said Tanya. She took one last gulp of ice cold fruit punch. "We have enough to pay a guy to manage our Duel Disks for the tournament. No matter what happens, let's both make it to the final match. That way our chances will be great. And no offense to the competition, but, I have a strong feeling we're the two best duelists on the island."

"You sure?" asked Nixie. "I took on this guy who wanted to duel me for all the Gems we got and there were these kids who kept boasting about some shark duelist named Leo."

"Yeah, I heard of him too," said Tanya. "Apparently he's the best duelist on the island and the favorite to win the tournament."

"I want to prove them all wrong. The little bastards who watched my duel kept saying that girls have no business playing Duel Monsters."

"Oh, they are going to get quite the surprise, Nixie."

"Yeah, my Ultimate Tyranno shocked them when I played it."

"You have such an affinity for that card don't you?" Tanya asked.

"More than anything," said Nixie. "He's my boyfriend." She took the card out of her deck case attached to her belt which lay mangled in her denim cutoffs which lay in a mangled heap beside her. She took the card out, but after she shook her hand to wipe the water away.

"Aint he handsome?" She kissed the card.

"You are so creepy, Nixie. But, I went and found you a new dinosaur for your deck." Tanya reached for her purse and took out the new card.

"Oh yeah?" said Nixie, putting Ultimate Tyranno back into her deck. "What do you have for me this time? Super Conductor Tyranno was already a boss monster."

"Well get ready for another beast. Careful, don't get it wet."

"What's this? He looks vicious."

Ultimate Conductor Tyranno:

 **LV 10 ATTRIBUTE: Light**  
 **ATK/3500 DEF/3200**  
 **Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) by banishing 2 Dinosaur-Type monsters from your Graveyard. Once per turn, during either player's Main Phase: You can destroy 1 monster in your hand or field, and if you do, change all face-up monsters your opponent controls to face-down Defense Position. This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls, once each. At the start of the Damage Step, when this card attacks a Defense Position monster: You can inflict 1000 damage to your opponent, and if you do, send that Defense Position monster to the Graveyard.**

"Gods above!" said Nixie. "Tanya, aint this a little overkill. If I combine this effect with my Evolzaurs, I can make a one-turn kill."

"We need all the help we can get. And I just got these before our journey."

She showed Nixie her new cards.

"Damn, Tanya! Krystal Dragon, Assault Wyvern, Pandemic Dragon, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, Deep-Eyes White Dragon! Now I know why you got all confident earlier. With those babies in your deck, there's no stopping you."

"I know," said Tanya, putting her cards away. "And these aren't half of the new cards I got for my deck."

"I feel sorry for your opponent already," laughed Nixie. "Man, if we find Dash out there with the elves, we need to come back here and relax before the journey home."

"There's no time for that, Nixie."

"Huh?"

"Someone's out the kill Dash, remember?"

Nixie gulped, remembering the destruction of Dash's ranch and the murder of his family, and the bounty hunters who were still looking for him under the command of Marcus, who was not part of this flimflam. He may have been an arrogant, rich jerk, but he would never result to murder to get what he wanted.

"We need to find Dash, find out what the Elves want with him, and then bring him home to my father who can grant us audience with the king of Goldcircle Kingdom City."

"Geeze, after all the fun I've had today, I plum forgot about why we went all this way to find Dash. All right, let's win that tournament and that prize money. With our new monsters in our decks...MY CARDS!"

Tanya gasped in shock. They were gone.

"MY CARDS!" shouted Nixie. "SOMEONE STOLE MY CARDS!"

Tanya looked at her purse. It was totally empty.

"OH NO!" she cried. Tears forming in her eyes. "My Blue-Eyes are gone too!"

"Things couldn't possibly get any worse!" said Nixie.

"Uh...Nixie...They can and they have."

"What?"

"Our clothes are gone, too!"

Both girls let out an ear piercing scream into the night, as a purple, two-tailed monkey scurried through the trees with their belongings. He jumped from tree to tree into the jungle and hopped into a tree house where two little boys lived. It was cramped but they had a cooking stove where they were cutting some vegetables for their mediocre chicken soup, a radio, and a light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

"Oh boy!" said a young lad with messy red hair wearing a yellow t-shirt and blue swimming trunks. His name was Pancho. "Loco came back with some food!"

"All right!" said the other boy. He too had the other child's messy hair, but longer and more wild. He sported a white tank top stained with mango juice and red trunks and black sandals. His name was Poyo.

Both the children's skins were kissed from the sun and they had necklaces with a shark tooth hanging from it.

"What did you get for us, boy?" said Pancho. He scrounged through the loot. "Did you get the chicken like we asked? What the?"

Pancho's face turned beet red when he realized all Loco the monkey brought home was clothing. Girl's clothing.

"Uh..." Poyo's face turned bright red as he held up a red thong. "This is not going to cook well with the soup, amigo."

"You stupid monkey!" said Pancho. "We said get us food!"

He threw a beach ball at the monkey. Loco dodged out of the way. The ball bounced off the wall and whacked Pancho in the face.  
"Omph!" Pancho grunted as he fell to the ground with a crash.

The monkey laughed and scurried off into the night.

"Hey, Pancho," said Poyo. "Check this out. Duel Monster cards."

"Huh? Cards?"

Wow! That was even better than food. Pancho and Poyo were too poor to afford cards at the game shop located in the lagoon.

"Look there's two. One for you. One for me! You take that one. I'll take this one."

Pancho opened the deck case and flipped through the cards. "NO WAY!" he gasped. "B-B-B-Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

"Wow!" said Poyo. "These dinosaurs! I can feel their ancient power surging through this deck."

"And the dragons in this one," said Pancho. "There is so much power radiating off these cards. Whoever built these decks have serious game, hermano."

"Hey, let's sell them back to their owners," said Poyo. "We can make enough Gems to feed us for a month."

"No, they're our decks now!" sneered Pancho "And maybe we can use these to enter the tournament. Why settle for a month's worth of food when we can win big at the games. With 200,000 Gems we can buy a boat and sail the seas catching all the fish, shrimps, and crabs we can eat. And maybe even sell them at the market."

"Yeah, you're right!" said Poyo. "Not even Leo will be able to stand up to us with these decks. And if we win, we'll never go hungry again."

"Bueno, amigo!" said Pancho. "What do you say?"

"Yeah!"

"LET'S DO IT!"

"This is horrible!" shouted Tanya. "Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!"

"Well, whoever it was that stole our stuff still had the decency to leave our towels," said Nixie. "Come on, let's get back inside. I have some extra clothes in my knapsack."

Nixie and Tanya hurried into their room where they changed.

"Damn how could I have been so careless!" shouted Tanya. "The Number Cards the king gave me were in that deck!"

"Cripes!" shouted Nixie. "Number Cards? For real?"

"Yes, the king gave me some new dragons just before this whole mess with Dash started. He left me in charge of his family heirloom. The Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon."

"No way!" said Nixie. "Why?"

"Because he didn't want them going to Marcus."

"Huh?"

"Marcus is part of a cadet branch of the Royal House. Since the king has no sons and Marcus is the only surviving child of the houses, he was supposed to get the dragons. But his family grew so corrupt that the king didn't feel Marcus was worthy of using them. Since my family has served as stewards of the king he left them to me."

"To you? Why?"

"He has seen me as a daughter over the years. He trusts me more than anyone. And...he loves me like I was his flesh and blood. That's why he gave me the Galaxy-Eyes Dragons. And there's something about Dash that you must know."

"What's going on Tanya? I need to know all the details."

"Dash is royalty!"

"Yer just yankin' my chain now!" said Nixie. "Are you serious!"

"No. His name is Prince Dash of House Maxwell."

"The family that sits on the Sky Throne!" cried Nixie. "His paps is..."

"Yes, Dash's father is Emperor Jonathan Tiberius Maxwell...at least he was until that boy Rufio was put into power by his mother. Jonathan and his wife were killed in a coup led by Lady Andrea Maxwell, Rufio's mother and Jonathan's older sister. Before she put Rufio in control of the empire, Jonathan had a bastard boy. No one knows who the mother was though. But that doesn't matter now. Dash is the sole heir to the Empire of Alria."


End file.
